THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF PLANT ESSENTIAL OILS ON GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF Salmonella enteritidis

Abstract

Plant essential oils have been reported to possess antimicrobial properties and therefore have potential usage as natural antimicrobials of food. The aim of the study was to examine the antimicrobial effect of sweet basil and thyme essential oils against growth and reproduction of Salmonella enteritidis reference test strain ATCC 13076 and food isolated Salmonella enteritidis - epidemic strain (group D) cultivated on plate. Therefore, the samples were prepared as a dip application from different concentrations of sweet basil and thyme essential oils (1; 2.5 and 5%) with initial concentration of bacteria from 109 CFU/mL and were cultivated on plate. The control samples were prepared as dip application of bacteria without added essential oils. All samples were exposed at 37°C and 46°C. The growth of Salmonella enteritidis reference test strain ATCC 13076 and Salmonella enteritidis - epidemic strain was observed only in the control samples without added sweet basil and thyme essential oils. There wasn’t any growth of Salmonella еnteritidis in the samples dipped in the 1; 2.5 and 5% sweet basil and thyme essential oils. The results from the ANOVA indicate that the utilized essential oils in combination with temperature regime was significantly (p <0.001) reduced the Log10 concentration (enumeration) of the booth strains of Salmonella enteritidis. These results support the possibility of using sweet basil and thyme essential oil as natural preservatives in food to contribute in the reduction of Salmonella enteritidis at acceptable levels in view to prevent the risk for consumers.