CICS-UBI Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506, Covilhã, Portugal.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, FibEnTech-Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de Ávila e Bolama, Covilhã, 6201-001, Portugal.
Food Microbiol. 2023 Feb;109:104105. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2022.104105. Epub 2022 Aug 29.
The burden of foodborne illness has a negative effect on public health, but also in countries' economy. Melissa officinalis is an aromatic plant known for its biological properties, including antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. This work highlighted M. officinalis essential oil's antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes, presenting a bactericidal action and being able to inhibit some virulence attributes, such as biofilm formation. The pre-exposure of the bacterium to subinhibitory levels of essential oil (0.125 μL/mL) did not induce high tolerance to stresses (such as high temperature, low pH, osmotic stress and desiccation) or cross-resistance with antibiotics, while not modifying the invasion ability to Caco-2 cells. When applied in food model media (lettuce, chicken and milk) and watermelon juice, the essential oil showed to have antimicrobial activity in a lettuce leaf model medium, further diminishing L. monocytogenes contamination and inhibiting the natural microbiota present in watermelon juice. M. officinalis essential oil shows potential to be used as control of L. monocytogenes in watermelon juice, while increasing the food's microbial shelf life.
食源性疾病的负担不仅对公众健康产生负面影响，也对各国经济产生影响。 Melissa officinalis 是一种芳香植物，具有生物特性，包括抗氧化和抗菌作用。这项工作强调了 Melissa officinalis 精油的抗氧化潜力和对李斯特菌的抗菌活性，表现出杀菌作用，并能够抑制一些毒力特性，如生物膜形成。将细菌预先暴露于亚抑菌水平的精油（0.125 μL/mL）下，不会诱导对压力（如高温、低 pH 值、渗透压和干燥）的高耐受性，也不会与抗生素产生交叉耐药性，同时不会改变其对 Caco-2 细胞的侵袭能力。当应用于食品模型介质（生菜、鸡肉和牛奶）和西瓜汁中时，精油在生菜叶模型介质中表现出抗菌活性，进一步减少李斯特菌污染并抑制西瓜汁中存在的天然微生物群。 Melissa officinalis 精油具有作为西瓜汁中李斯特菌控制的潜力，同时延长了食品的微生物保质期。
