This study aimed to evaluate the acaricidal potential of the essential oils of Cananga odorata L. (ylang-ylang), Illicium verum (star anise), and Foeniculum vulgare (sweet fennel) in Rhipicephalus ...microplus engorged females. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation, and the females were immersed in each essential oil at concentrations ranging from 10 μL/mL to 50 μL/mL, using 10% dimethyl sulfoxide as a solvent. Tick mortality was evaluated after seven and 14 days, and the following parameters were determined: female weight before oviposition, preoviposition period, egg mass weight, egg production index, incubation period, hatching rate, fecundity, percentage of reduction in oviposition, percentage of reduction in hatching and product efficacy. Lethal concentration (LC50) values were 34.42 μL/mL (28.34–40.86) for C. odorata and 40.60 μL/mL (32.58–58.21) for F. vulgare. This parameter was not calculated for I. verum because there was insufficient mortality at the concentrations evaluated. The greatest efficacy was observed in the group treated with 40 μL/mL F. vulgare essential oil (97.17%), followed by I. verum (91.35%) and C. odorata (86.19%) at the same concentration. Efficacy results were associated with a greater reduction in egg mass weight and lower hatching rates. Although the essential oils caused a slight acaricidal impact, they showed significant effects on the reproductive performance of R. microplus engorged females. Thus, the results of this study indicate that these essential oils can be used in the development of new acaricidal formulations.
•The LC50 for C. odorata L. essential oil against R. microplus was 34.42 μL/mL.•The LC50 for F. vulgare essential oil against R. microplus was 40.60 μL/mL.•Exposure to F. vulgare essential oil at 40 μL/mL resulted in the highest efficacy.•Efficacy was associated with lower egg mass weight and hatching rates.
Oxidation reactions during manufacturing, distribution, and storage of meat and meat products result in undesirable physicochemical changes and aromas, which leads to detrimental effects on the ...product quality. This could be translated into the consumer dissatisfaction and economic loss. One of the most common practices to overcome this issue is the incorporation of synthetic antioxidants. However, the increasing health-consciousness of consumers and their preference for natural additives leads to the search of natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants. A number of essential oils have strong antioxidant properties and are explored as potential alternatives to chemical antioxidants in the meat industry. These compounds are classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), and their application single or combined with other essential oils, ingredients or preservation technologies have beneficial effects on meat products. Their activity depends on several parameters including their concentrations, their possible synergistic effects, and the extraction method used to obtain them. Although steam distillation is the most common industrial technique for essential oils extraction, novel technologies have been emerged to address the drawbacks of the traditional extraction method and to obtain high-quality essential oils. This paper provides an overview of the application of essential oils as potential substitutes for synthetic antioxidants in the meat industry, exploring their mechanism of action against oxidation reactions, and the effect of extraction methods on their effectiveness.
•Essential oils protect meat and meat products from several deteriorative reactions.•Phenolic compounds are responsible for strong antioxidant activity of essential oils.•Synergistic effect with other essential oils, ingredients, and conservation methods improves their activity.•Future trends include their use as alternative to synthetic antioxidants.•Regulations and their possible negative effect on sensory attributes should be considered.
The Mediterranean Diet has been recognized as one of the healthiest and most sustainable dietary patterns and is flavor rich due to the use of different seasonings, such as aromatic plants, in dish ...confection. Based on the hypotheses that: 1) gustatory function will affect food choices; 2) seasoning flavors may be differently accepted according to individuals’ gustatory functions; the aim of the present study was to assess the association between taste sensitivity and/or preference with Mediterranean Diet adherence and seasoning consumption. A total of 383 adults (18-59 years old; 198 female, 185 male) from southeast of Portugal were enrolled in this study, with 291 (145 female and 146 male) also evaluated for gustatory function. Recognition thresholds were obtained for four tastes (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) and astringency, as well as preference level for the highest concentration of each stimulus tested. A validated Food Frequency Questionnaire was filled out, and MD adherence was extrapolated from the answers of the Food Frequency Questionnaire according to the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) score.
In total, 20.8% of the individuals presented low, 58.2% medium, and 21.0% high adherence. Adherence was higher in women than men and in older individuals than younger adults. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was positively correlated with aromatic plants consumption but not spices. Seasonings were associated with gustatory function, and the cluster with higher consumption presented higher preferences for bitter and salty tastes. Total sodium intake was also higher in this cluster, suggesting that these individuals prefer stronger oral sensations. In conclusion, this study shows that MD adherence is not high, even in regions with rural characteristics. The observed association of Mediterranean Diet and seasoning intake with gustatory function do underline the usefulness of this information in strategies aimed at promoting healthy and sustainable eating patterns.
Aromatic plants may contribute for human health promotion due to their antioxidant properties and also by replacing added salt in foods. Phenolic compounds are one of the major groups contributing ...for aromatic plants properties, including the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
This review focuses on the main uses of aromatic plants generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and overviews the extraction, purification and analytical methods used to determine phenolics in these food matrices. The current state of the art is evaluated and future trends in the analysis of these compounds and food industry applications are discussed.
In general, aromatic plants are complex matrices regarding their content on phenolic compounds. Their composition can be affected by the chemical structure of the studied analytes, the selected methods, the composition/nature of the aromatic plant and storage conditions.
The most usual separation technique to determine these compounds is High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ultraviolet (UV) or diode array detectors (DAD), although the use of mass spectrometry (MS) detectors is increasing. The future trends include the use of more sophisticated and automated techniques in order to reduce both analysis time and the amount of solvents used.
Food industry widely uses aromatic plants, but other industries like food packaging, cosmetics, perfumery and pharmaceutical can also benefit from their properties.
•Main uses and properties of GRAS aromatic plants are focused.•Extraction, purification and analysis of phenolics in aromatic plants are reviewed.•Future trends and requirements in the analysis of these compounds are discussed.•Emphasis is given to food industry applications of aromatic plants.
Environmental problems such as global warming, pollution, and the decline of plant species biodiversity are leading to new social trends and discussions. A relatively new idea of global sustainable ...development aims to meet societal demands while protecting and enhancing natural resources. The main tools used in the implementation of natural resource protection measures are sustainable development indicators. One of these indicators is the damage caused by the use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture. In Serbia, agriculture is an important sector of the economy with different levels of technological progress, from extensive to intensive. The degree of pollution and its impact on the environment varies according to agricultural production. The challenges faced by modern agricultural production in conditions of technological progress have led to the intensification of production, but have also caused concern about maintaining the natural balance of cultivated land and product quality. The application of innovative technologies for crop protection without the use of chemical agents is a step that should reduce the environmental damage caused. Among the most important natural metabolites and secondary products of aromatic plants used as biopesticides are essential oils. The biological activities of essential oils (EOs) in agriculture have antimicrobial and herbicidal effects. The various bioactive components of the oil determine its action. In nature, they play an important role in protecting plants from bacteria, fungi, viruses and insects. In most weeds, the oils penetrate the cytoplasmic membrane of the cell as typical lipophiles and cause its multilayers of polysaccharides, fatty acids and phospholipids to lose their structure and become permeable. Chlorosis, necrosis, and growth inhibition are symptoms of damage caused by the application of essential oils to plants. Although the physiological effects of the oil are not yet well studied, the importance of its use and other natural metabolites indicates its value for sustainable agriculture.
•Residual biomass production from medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) sector were reviewed.•Status and potential of recycling of MAPs residual biomass was reviewed.•Residual biomass of MAPs are ...important source of phytochemicals, e.g., phenolic- antioxidant and hydrosols.•Potential value addition routes of MAPs residual biomass were also explored.•Economic and environmental sustainability of recycling the residual biomass were analyzed.
Agro- and industrial processes that utilises medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) generates various kinds of residues like residual biomasses from distillation of aromatic plant and non-utilized parts of medicinal plant. These residual biomasses cannot be considered as waste as these can actually be recycled and converted into value added products. So, value addition to these residual biomasses through processing, extraction, hydrolysis, pyrolysis and fermentation, etc. could be an exciting avenue especially for the underutilized part of medicinal plant and residual biomass from the distillation of aromatic plant. These biomasses are suitable for isolation of phytochemicals like phenolics-antioxidants which can be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfumery industry. After extraction of phytochemicals, the residual biomass can be used directly as animal feed/or organic mulch. Besides, preparation of value added product, like bio sorbent for waste water purification, composts and biochar for an effective soil amendment. These value added products are found to be more promising. In this article, the potential uses of these residual biomasses as valued products have been discussed including the technology developed at laboratory scale and their application in industry. Effective recycling of residual biomass from MAPs is not only for an economic gain, but also a practical solution for its disposal. Thus, dual utilization of the residual biomasses is of great interest and will open windows of opportunity in MAPs sector.
Enhancing rural livelihoods in low to medium-income countries through innovative agricultural technologies is a critical challenge for decision-makers. Cost-effective interventions like essential oil ...extraction (EOE) technology for aromatic plants need rural adoption. The study assesses two EOE practices' economic benefits in Punjab, Pakistan, using three models: individual benefit-cost (BC), diffusion, and a Pothwar-specific BC model. Thus, analyzing results from the literature, expert insights, and indigenous knowledge can readily be employed in scenarios where data is limited in less developed economies, including Pakistan. The study findings revealed monetary costs and financial returns at both individual and zonal levels. The highest positive NPV value was recorded in the case of mint oil (267.86) followed by eucalyptus oil and wood (755.12) productivity for short-term and long-term benefits respectively. In addition, the maximum BC index (4.03) was recorded under eucalyptus oil and wood, followed by mint essential oil (3.82) production for 10 years. The model(s) further explored the key input parameters that positively impact the economic gains of the interventions and for ongoing future investments. Hence, the general application of the existing framework is also discussed, along with the limitations under different scenarios.
•EOE interventions introduced as cost-effective strategy among rural masses.•Triple BC models analyzed with computational tools, simulative modeling, and risk evaluation.•Eucalyptus and mint oils economic viability over conventional methods.•Transitioning to EOE practices offers adopters advantage.•EOE interventions yielded optimal results for future investments.
The paper presents a study on four species of aromatic plants: a native species from the spontaneous flora of the Republic of Moldova (Nepeta cataria L.), a species to be introduced (Nepeta racemosa ...Lam.) and two non-native species (Nepeta melissifolia Lam., Nepeta grandiflora M. Bieb.); little research has been conducted on these species, but they are therapeutically valuable. The genus Nepeta L. is one of the largest and most important genera in the family Lamiaceae, subfamily Nepetoideae. The studies aimed at their evaluation and characterization from a bio-ecological and phytochemical aspect, in order to highlight the biomorphological peculiarities, the essential oil content and the possibility of using them in aromatherapy, perfumery, phytotherapy and gastronomy. The research highlighted the high adaptive potential and the prospects of cultivation of these species under the pedoclimatic conditions of the Republic of Moldova.
Meat and meat products are perishable products that require the use additives to prevent the spoilage by foodborne microorganisms and pathogenic bacteria. Current trends for products without ...synthetic preservatives have led to the search for new sources of antimicrobial compounds. Essential oils (EOs), which has been used since ancient times, meet these goals since their effectiveness as antimicrobial agents in meat and meat products have been demonstrated. Cinnamon, clove, coriander, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, among others, have shown a greater potential to control and inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Although EOs are natural products, their quality must be evaluated before being used, allowing to grant the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) classification.
The bioactive compounds (BAC) present in their composition are linked to their activity, being the concentration and the quality of these compounds very important characteristics. Therefore, a single mechanism of action cannot be attributed to them. Extraction technique plays an important role, which has led to improve conventional techniques in favour of green emerging technologies that allow to preserve better target bioactive components, operating at lower temperatures and avoiding as much as possible the use of solvents, with more sustainable processing and reduced energy use and environmental pollution. Once extracted, these compounds display greater inhibition of gram-positive than gram-negative bacteria. Membrane disruption is the main mechanism of action involved.
Their intense characteristics and the possible interaction with meat components make that their application combined with other EOs, encapsulated and being part of active film, increase their bioactivity without modifying the quality of the final product.
•A wide variety of valuable compounds can be obtained from essential oils (EOs).•The application of EOs allows to inhibit the growth of several pathogenic bacteria.•Phenolic compounds are the main responsible for their microbial activity of essential oils.•The application of EOs is conditioned by their suitability and their potential toxicological effects.
