title: Antimicrobial activity against beneficial microorganisms and chemical composition of essential oil of Mentha suaveolens ssp. insularis grown in Sardinia.
abstract: The aim of this work was to determine the chemical constituents and in vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oil (EO) of the aerial parts of Mentha sueveolens spp. insularis grown in Sardinia (Italy) against probiotic and starter microorganisms. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis allowed to identified 34 compounds, most of oxygenated monoterpene compounds (82.5%) and among them, pulegone was found as major compound (46.5%). The agar diffusion test carried out employing the EO of Mentha suaveolens spp. insularis showed a low antibacterial activity, in particular no action was noticed for probiotic bacteria belonging to lactic acid bacteria groups, whereas almost all yeasts strains tested were inhibited. The automated microtitter dilution assay showed a clear effect at increasing concentration of EO on the specific growth rate (μ) and extension of the lag phase (λ) only for S. xylosus SA23 among bacteria and for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Tetrapisispora phaffii CBS 4417, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, and Candida zemplinina among yeasts. Results obtained in this work allow us to broaden the knowledge on the effect of EOs on probiotic and food-related microorganisms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mentha suaveolens spp. insularis may be used in combination with probiotic bacteria into the food matrix or encapsulated in coating and edible films for food preservation.
authors: Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Univ. di Sassari, 07100, Italy.
authors: Giacomo Luigi
authors: GL
authors: Petretto
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Fancello
authors: Severino
authors: S
authors: Zara
authors: Marzia
authors: M
authors: Foddai
authors: Nicoletta P
authors: NP
authors: Mangia
authors: Maria Lina
authors: ML
authors: Sanna
authors: Elasyed A
authors: EA
authors: Omer
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Menghini
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Chessa
authors: Giorgio
authors: G
authors: Pintore
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D005519:Food Preservation; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007558:Italy; D027541:Mentha / Q000737:chemistry*; D055163:Metschnikowia / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; C039648:pulegone
keywords: GC-MS; essential oil; fermented food; probiotic bacteria; yeasts