Unraveling the antimicrobial activity of nutmeg and turmeric essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp

The consumer demand for a reduction in the use of synthetic additives in food has been providing a greater search and incentive for the food industries to use new alternatives for food preservation. Among them, there is the initiative to use essential oils (EOs) due to their antimicrobial properties, coming from specific compounds in their compositions. However, in view of limitations related to the use of EOs, as well as their susceptibility to oxidation and degradation, the possibility arises of employing protection methods such as microencapsulation to minimize the impairment of the benefits associated with the application of EOs. This study aimed to examine the antimicrobial effect of turmeric and nutmeg EOs against microbial strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp., as well as the microparticles of the EOs involved. Analyses of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and the developed microparticles, as well as the verification of the synergistic inhibitory action between these oils, were carried out. For free oils, antimicrobial action was evidenced against the vast majority of microorganisms tested, with free nutmeg EO having a better antimicrobial effect than free turmeric oil. In contrast, for encapsulated oils, only antimicrobial action was noted against strains of Listeria. Furthermore, the synergism of free oils did not potentiate the antimicrobial action. Regarding the alternative of microencapsulation of EOs, it was obtained that the results in which chitosan was used as wall material were more promising than when gelatin was used as wall material.