Survival of some food-borne fungi in the presence of oregano essential oil

BLAGOJEV NEVENA1*, ŠKRINJAR MARIJA1, CABARKAPA IVANA2, ŠOŠO VLADISLAVA1, SUTUROVIC IRENA1
*Corresponding author
1. Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia
2. Institute of Food Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia

KEYWORDS: Oregano essential oil, antifungal activity, surviving curves.
ABSTRACT:
Alimentary diseases, usually caused by microorganisms, are growing public health problem worldwide. Successful control of food-borne pathogens requires the use of multiple preservation techniques, including application of diverse additives. The modern trends in nutrition suggest substitution of synthetic food additives with natural ones. Plant essential oils are reported to be an interesting source of antimicrobial compounds. This study evaluates the antimicrobial potential of Oreganum heracleoticum L. essential oil against six commonly found food-borne fungi by screening their survival in the presence of this oil in growth media. Results showed that oregano essential oil posses strong in vitro antifungal activity against tested fungi, so the concentration of 0.31 µL/mL was needed for total growth inhibition of yeast species, 0.62 µL/mL for Aspergillus  species and 1.25 µL/mL for Penicillium species. When applied in adequate concentration, oregano essential oil has a great potential ...
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