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Synergistic antimicrobial effect and mode of action of palmarosa oil-loaded nanoemulsion and citric acid against Pectobacterium carotovorum

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Abstract

The synergistic antimicrobial activity of palmarosa oil (Cymbopogon martini, PO)-loaded nanoemulsion (PO-NE) and citric acid (CA) against Pectobacterium, the major pathogen for soft-rot disease, was evaluated. The combination of PO-NE and CA (PO-NE + CA) significantly improved the storage stability of PO-NE at 30 °C. Compared to the anti-Pectobacterium activity of alone, PO-NE + CA reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by 1/4 and 1/2, respectively. Bactericidal efficacy of PO-NE + CA against P. carotovorum PCC3 was similar of PO-NE alone in the MIC in time-kill kinetic assay. PO-NE treatment mainly influenced membrane integrity, while CA treatment strongly stimulated intracellular ATP depletion. This synergistic combination effectively reduced the use of PO-NE, imparting a strong flavor note without sacrificing the antimicrobial efficacy against Pectobacterium.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by “Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (Project No. PJ01608201)” Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

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  1. Department of Foods and Nutrition, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongnung-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02707, Korea

    Ji-Hwa Park, Sangbin Kim, Yoonjee Chang & Jee-Young Imm

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  2. Sangbin Kim
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Park, JH., Kim, S., Chang, Y. et al. Synergistic antimicrobial effect and mode of action of palmarosa oil-loaded nanoemulsion and citric acid against Pectobacterium carotovorum. Food Sci Biotechnol 32, 823–831 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-022-01217-6

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