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Synergistic antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant efficacy of cinnamon and clove essential oils in combination

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Abstract

The present investigation aimed to evaluate antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant efficacy of essential oils of three commonly used spices (black pepper, cinnamon and clove) in combination along with chemical characterization and toxicity evaluation. Among the possible combinations tested, cinnamon/clove oil combination showed synergistic antibacterial activity against foodborne bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and synergistic antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger as well as synergistic antioxidant potential in DPPH radical scavenging model system. GC–HRMS analysis revealed that out of thirteen identified components from clove oil, eugenol was found to be the main constituent of the oil; whereas out of twenty one identified constituents from cinnamon oil, the main component was cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamon/clove oil combination did not show any cytotoxic potential at recommended dosage level (IC50 > 2000 µg/ml). The results provide evidence that cinnamon/clove oil combination might indeed be used as a potential source of safe and effective novel natural antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant blend in the food and pharmaceutical industries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a combination of essential oils has been tested as natural preservatives to prevent both microbial proliferation and oxidative deterioration at sufficiently low concentrations.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the Director, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India for providing research fellowship to the first author to carry out the work and the Head, Sophisticated Analytical Instruments Facility Unit, Mumbai, India for his kind help for chemical analysis of samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, Barrackpore Trunk Road, Kolkata, 700 108, India

    S. Purkait, A. Bhattacharya, A. Bag & R. R. Chattopadhyay

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  1. S. Purkait
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  2. A. Bhattacharya
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  3. A. Bag
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  4. R. R. Chattopadhyay
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Correspondence to S. Purkait.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt .

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Purkait, S., Bhattacharya, A., Bag, A. et al. Synergistic antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant efficacy of cinnamon and clove essential oils in combination. Arch Microbiol 202, 1439–1448 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-01858-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-01858-3

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