Effect of post-harvest drying period on the chemical composition of Sm. Rhizomes essential oil and its biological activities.

Sm. (Family: ) is an important perennial medicinal oil-bearing herb that is native to the Southeast Asia. This study examines the impact of different durations of post-harvest shade drying (ranging from 1 to 12 months) on essential oil yield and chemical composition of , in comparison to the freshly collected oil sample. This study explores how post-harvest shade drying impact the composition and longevity of rhizomes as well as its antimicrobial, antibiofilm activity. The oils were analyzed for their chemical composition analysis using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The post-harvest periods of drying (1-12 months) were discovered to enhance the concentration of marker constituents in the oil. The primary constituent, Zerumbone, was detected in concentrations ranging from 69.38 ± 5.63% to a maximum of 80.19 ± 1.53% as the drying duration of the rhizome was extended. The output of the essential oil was not significantly affected by drying times; however, it did have a noticeable impact on the proportions of monoterpenes. Both disc diffusion and broth microdilution assay were used in freshly collected oil for its antimicrobial potential against , , , serovar Typhimurium, , , and . For the first time, the oil reported to exhibit antibiofilm activity against which was validated using fluorescence microscopy, and effectively disrupts the biofilm by 47.38% revealing that essential oil was able to disintegrate the clusters of the pathogen rhizome oil is effective to reduce food-borne microorganisms. Therefore, its essential oil, a natural source of bioactive zerumbone, may improve flavor, aroma, and preservation.