Potential applications of leaf extract as natural anti-staphylococcal additive in food systems: Efficacy and safety evaluation.

This work aimed to explore the potential use of ethanol leaf extract (RTEL) as an alternative food preservative agent for controlling the growth of . Antibacterial activities against food-isolated were performed using disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays, followed by evaluating subacute oral toxicity of the extract. Salad dressing was used as a food model to study bactericidal properties and consumer acceptability. RTEL remarkably inhibited with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 7.81-62.5 µg/mL. Repeated oral doses (5, 50, and 300 mg/kg RTEL) for 28 days did not affect any of the measured toxicity parameters. The no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of RTEL was noted as more than 300 mg/kg body weight/day. The utilization of RTEL (12.5 mg/mL) in the vinaigrette salad dressing did not affect the consumer acceptability of the product, remarkably killed the pathogen within 3-9 h of exposure. The results indicated that RTEL is safe and effective as a natural anti-staphylococcal controlling agent that could be utilized in food systems. Further work is required on the effects of enterotoxin production, an important virulence factor of responsible for food-borne disease.