Zeitschrift für mikrobielle und biochemische Technologie

Abstrakt

Microbiological Characterization of Pure Geraniol and Comparison with Bactericidal Activity of the Cinnamic Acid in Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria

Zanetti M, Ternus ZR, Dalcanton F, de Mello MMJ, de Oliveira D, Araujo PHH, Riella HG and Fiori MA

Geraniol is a terpene alcohol and the principal constituent compound of many essential oils of the aromatic plants. This molecule is very important for the flavors and fragrance industries due to its pleasant odor. The geraniol has the insecticidal properties and is an efficiently repellent agent and its toxicity is low. So, its antimicrobial ability can be explored to obtaining important additives for especial products applied in the food industry. The cinnamic acid is a molecule present in cinnamon oils and in coca leaves. This molecule also exhibits low toxicity and has a broad biological application spectrum for many microorganisms. This work evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of geraniol and of the cinnamic acid against different microorganisms and compared their bactericidal activity for future applications as an additive for food packages. The bacteria studied were: Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration test (MIC) and the Agar Diffusion Method were applied to available the antimicrobial susceptibility. The geraniol showed a large bactericidal activity and greater than the cinnamic acid for the bacteria studied. The geraniol showed the better bactericidal action and high application potential for use as an additive for treatment of the food or to produce active food packaging.