Inhibition of Enterococcus faecalis Growth and Cell Membrane Integrity by Perilla frutescens Essential Oil

Some plant essential oils were reported to have antimicrobial activity and have the potential to replace chemical preservatives in food industry. In this study, the antibacterial activity and possible mechanism of Perilla frutescens essential oil (PEO) were evaluated using Enterococcus faecalis R612-Z1 as the target strain. The minimum inhibition concentration of PEO against E. faecalis was 0.5 μL/mL. The PEO solutions at the concentrations higher than minimum inhibition concentration had varying degrees of bactericidal effects against E. faecalis. With the addition of PEO, the cell membrane integrity was destroyed, the cell membrane potential was decreased, and the intracellular adenosine triphosphate loss was increased. By testing the bacterial counts and total volatile basic nitrogen contents in chicken breast meat, PEO can significantly inhibit the growth of E. faecalis. The results showed that PEO can be used as an effective natural food preservative during food storage.