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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

The Effect of the Application of Thyme Essential Oil on Microbial Load During Meat Drying
Published on: March 14, 2018
Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Foeniculum vulgare and Crithmum maritimum essential oils
G Ruberto1, M T Baratta, S G Deans
1Istituto del C.N.R. per lo Studio delle Sostanze Naturali di Interesse Alimentare e Chimico-Farmaceutico, Valverde, CT, Italy. ruberto@issn.ct.cnr.it
Abstract:
The essential oils obtained from Crithmum maritimum L. (marine fennel) and two samples of Foeniculum vulgare Miller (common fennel) were analysed by GC and GC-MS and assayed for their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The antioxidant activity of the oils was evaluated by two lipid model systems: a modified thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay and a spectrophotometric detection of hydroperoxydienes from linoleic acid in a micellar system. The oils demonstrated antioxidant capacities, comparable in some cases to that of alpha-tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), used as reference antioxidants. Concerning the antimicrobial tests the essential oils were assayed against twenty-five genera of bacteria, including animal and plant pathogens, food poisoning and spoilage bacteria. Oils from the two samples of F. vulgare showed a higher and broader degree of inhibition than that of C. maritimum.
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