Control of Listeria monocytogenes in a fresh cheese using aromatic and medicinal plants and enterocin: a comparative study

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of essential oils (EOs) or crude extracts (CEs) of eight aromatic and medicinal plants (AMPs) and its association with enterocin OS1 on Listeria monocytogenes and food spoilage bacteria in Moroccan fresh cheese. The cheese batches were treated with EO of Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Syzygium aromaticum, Laurus nobilis, Allium sativum, Eucalyptus globulus, or CE of Crocus sativus and Carthamus tinctorius, and/or enterocin OS1, and stored for 15 days at 8°C. The data were subjected to correlations analysis, variance analysis, and principal components analysis. Results clearly showed a positive correlation between L. monocytogenes reduction and storage time. Moreover, reduction on Listeria counts induced by Allium-EO and Eucalyptus-EO reached 2.68 and 1.93 Log CFU/g with respect to untreated samples after 15 days, respectively. Similarly, enterocin OS1 alone has significantly reduced the L. monocytogenes population with 1.46 Log CFU/g. The most promising result was the synergy observed between many AMPs and enterocin. Indeed, treatments with Eucalyptus-EO + OS1 and Crocus-CE + OS1 decreased the Listeria population to undetectable after only 2 days and throughout the storage period. These findings suggest a promising application/use of this natural combination, which preserves the safety and long-lasting conservation of fresh cheese.