A study of antimicrobial effects of alcoholic extract and essential oil of caraway (Bunium persicum Boiss) on selected species of bacteria and molds in lactic cheese

The detrimental effects of chemical preservatives and the tendency of consumers to use foods without preservatives or with natural preservatives have increased the use of natural antimicrobial compounds, including plant essential oils and extracts in food industries. Considering the numerous antimicrobial properties of Caraway (Bunium persicum Boiss) and the assumption that its use in lactic cheese increases the shelf life of a product with an acceptable aroma and flavor, in this study the effects of essential oil and alcoholic extract of Caraway on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger as well as total counts of mold and yeast were evaluated. Also, its effect on total counts of LABs and sensory properties of cheese was studied. Results showed that this plant was able to delay microbial growth. Caraway showed a more inhibitory effect on the studied microbes in lactic cheese and the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was higher than the extract so that at the end of storage samples containing 1% essential oil had the lowest count of the target microbes. Comparison of the effect of essential oil and extract on the growth of the studied microbes showed that the Caraway had more effect on the growth control of Aspergillus flavus and Escherichia coli O157in lactic cheese. In the case of lactic acid bacteria, as the shelf life increased, the number of bacteria decreased in the cheese, and decreasing was greater in the control samples.