Reduction of Salmonella on turkey breast cutlets by plant-derived compounds

Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2014 Dec;11(12):981-7. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2014.1803.

Abstract

The foodborne illnesses associated with poultry meat due to Salmonella are a major concern in the United States. In this study, the antimicrobial efficacy of carvacrol, eugenol, thyme essential oil, and trans-cinnamaldehyde was determined against different Salmonella serotypes in vitro and on turkey breast cutlets. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of antimicrobial agents were determined using a microdilution colorimetric assay. Carvacrol was the most effective antimicrobial agent since it exhibited the lowest MIC and MBC (0.313 μL/mL, respectively) in culture media against Salmonella. Turkey breast cutlets inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Heidelberg, and Salmonella Typhimurium were dip treated with different concentrations (0.5, 1, 2, and 5% vol/vol) of carvacrol, eugenol, thyme essential oil, and trans-cinnamaldehyde for 2 min. Samples were analyzed after 24-h storage at 4°C for recovery of Salmonella. Significant reductions of Salmonella (p≤0.05) on turkey breast cutlets were obtained with 1, 2, and 5% treatments. These compounds exhibited a concentration-dependent response on turkey breast cutlets against Salmonella. For example, 1% carvacrol resulted in 1.0 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g reduction of Salmonella whereas 5% carvacrol caused 2.6 log CFU/g reduction. Based on its efficacy in the 2-min dip study, carvacrol was selected for 30-s and 60-s dip treatments of Salmonella-inoculated turkey breast cutlets. Dipping turkey breast cutlets in 5% carvacrol for 30 s and 60 s resulted in 1.0 and 1.8 log reductions of Salmonella (p≤0.05), respectively. None of the antimicrobial agents caused any changes in the meat pH (p>0.05). In conclusion, this study revealed that plant-derived compounds such as carvacrol can reduce Salmonella on turkey breast cutlets without changing the pH of meat.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrolein / analogs & derivatives
  • Acrolein / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / chemistry*
  • Cymenes
  • Eugenol / chemistry
  • Food Contamination / prevention & control*
  • Food Preservation / methods*
  • Meat / microbiology*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Monoterpenes / chemistry
  • Oils, Volatile / chemistry
  • Salmonella / drug effects
  • Salmonella / isolation & purification*
  • Thymus Plant / chemistry
  • Turkeys

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Cymenes
  • Monoterpenes
  • Oils, Volatile
  • Eugenol
  • Acrolein
  • carvacrol
  • cinnamaldehyde