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Abstract
Objective: To determine the antibacterial and antioxidant activity and to identify the volatile compounds in extracts from Bixa orellana, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, Mentha spicata, Piper auritum, and Lippia origanoides from Yucatan.
Design/methodology/approach: Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the disk diffusion method; antioxidant activity was assessed through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, and volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Results: In antibacterial assays, L. origanoides and M. spicata significantly inhibited L. monocytogenes; B. orellana was effective against E. coli, and L. origanoides extract showed significant inhibition of S. enteritidis at 40 mg/mL. In antioxidant activity, B. orellana, L. origanoides, and M. spicata showed the highest antioxidant capacity percentages (92.1-100%, p < 0.05) at 1 mg/mL. Chromatographic analysis tentatively identified the presence of compounds such as carvacrol, phytol, ishwarene, palmitic acid, and linolenic acid.
Limitations on study/implications: Although further MIC/MBC determinations and food-matrix validation are required, the high biological activity observed in B. orellana, L. origanoides, and M. spicata, suggests their potential as natural preservative candidates.
Findings/conclusions: The extracts with the highest antioxidant and antibacterial effects at 1 and 40 mg/mL, respectively, are B. orellana, L. origanoides, and M. spicata. GC-MS analyses tentatively identified the presence of bioactive compounds such as phytol, β-Cyclocitral, linolenic, and palmitic acid, carvacrol, thymol, guaiol acetate, epiglobulol and ishwarene. Results suggest that these three plant extracts represent promising natural alternatives for application in agro-food systems, specifically as potential antioxidant and selective antimicrobial agents..