Bacterial resistance has been increasingly reported worldwide and is one of the major causes of failure in the treatment of infectious diseases. Natural-based products, including plant secondary metabolites (phytochemicals), may be used to surpass or reduce this problem. The objective of this study was to determine the antibacterial effect and mode of action of selected essential oils (EOs) components: carveol, carvone, citronellol, and citronellal, againstEscherichia coliandStaphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were assessed for the selected EOs components. Moreover, physicochemical bacterial surface characterization, bacterial surface charge, membrane integrity, andK+leakage assays were carried out to investigate the antimicrobial mode of action of EOs components. Citronellol was the most effective molecule against both pathogens, followed by citronellal, carveol, and carvone. Changes in the hydrophobicity, surface charge, and membrane integrity with the subsequentK+leakage fromE. coliandS. aureuswere observed after exposure to EOs. This study demonstrates that the selected EOs have significant antimicrobial activity against the bacteria tested, acting on the cell surface and causing the disruption of the bacterial membrane. Moreover, these molecules are interesting alternatives to conventional antimicrobials for the control of microbial infections.

Citral is a monoterpene constituted by two isomers known as neral and geranial. It is present in different plant sources and recognized as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In recent years, investigations have demonstrated that this compound exhibited several biological activities, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antibiofilm, antiparasitic, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, by in vitro and in vivo assays. Additionally, when incorporated into different food matrices, citral can reduce the microbial load of pathogenic microorganisms and extend the shelf life. This compound has acceptable drug-likeness properties and does not present any violations of Lipinski’s rules, which could be used for drug development. The above shows that citral could be a compound of interest for developing food additives to extend the shelf life of animal and vegetable origin foods and develop pharmaceutical products.

Agave plants contain different bioactive compounds that are related to different biological activities; however, the application of Agave as a food additive has rarely been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of Agave angustifolia extract (AAE) on pork patties stored at 4 °C during 10 days. According to the spectrophotometric analysis, AAE contained phenolic compounds and saponins. In addition, AAE exhibited antioxidant activity based on DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays (94.2, 239.1 and 148.8 µmol ET/g, respectively). Likewise, AAE showed bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis (60 mg/mL) and Escherichia coli (60 mg/mL). AAE demonstrated a protective effect against oxidative processes (TBARS and metmyoglobin) in patties compared to the control group. Mesophilic and psychotropic counts showed that AAE exhibited a weak antimicrobial effect. AAE showed a protective effect on redness and lightness (at 3 and 10 days of storage, respectively). Sensory evaluation found that AAE had no effect on the analyzed parameters. AAE exhibited antioxidant activity that preserve quality and extended the shelf life of pork patties.