Olive leaf extract has antibacterial effect | 08-04-2020 |

A new study by Euromed, a global herbal extract and pharmaceutical ingredients producer, headquartered in Spain, has shown that olive leaf extract inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria and could even help to control food borne pathogens. Previously these extracts have been used as herbal dietary supplements.

In the current study, led by Dr Yanhong Liu, researchers synthesized gold nanowires using bacterial flagella as a template. These nanowires are an effective catalysts that improve the efficiencies of secondary plant metabolites as bacterial inhibitors, explains Dr Liu. Further they demonstrated high electrocatalytic activity and showed no mutagenic effect at the concentrations used. So they have the potential to be used as new antimicrobial packaging materials to improve food safety, he believes. In the tests they inhibited the growth of this strain of Listeria completely.

These food borne pathogens are often found in dairy products, vegetables and ready-to-eat foods. They can survive in harsh environments such as low temperatures, so their elimination is considered a particularly significant challenge for the food industry.

In an earlier study Dr Liu and his team investigated the effects of olive leaf extracts on three food borne pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis. At a particular concentration (62.5 mg/ml) it was found to completely inhibit the growth of all three.

This type of antimicrobial or food preservative agent, sourced from secondary plant substances, is gaining interest in the current environment. This is because they are sourced from naturally occurring compounds, possess diverse chemical structures, a wide range of biological activities and are in line with consumer trends demanding foods containing only natural ingredients.