Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of citrus essences on Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The aim of this research was to assess the antimicrobial activity of nine different industrial essences used in a soft drink factory in relation to their composition, as well as to verify the role of vapor pressure on their bioactivity. The essences were tested against a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain isolated from spoiled soft drinks. The tests were carried out by adding the essences directly to a liquid medium or into the headspace of closed systems inoculated with the yeast. The headspace composition was evaluated through a solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography technique. The use of a mass spectrometer allowed the identification of the peaks detected. The microbial growth was indirectly monitored by measuring the metabolic CO2 released by the yeast. The results obtained indicated that the most effective essences were characterized by the highest concentration of some terpenes, such as citral, beta-pinene, and p-cymene. Moreover, all of the essences were more bioactive when added directly to the liquid medium.