Biological Activity of Extracts from Aromatic Plants as Control Agents against Spoilage Molds Isolated from Sheep Cheese
Nuria Muñoz-Tebar,
Emilio J. González-Navarro,
Teresa María López-Díaz,
Jesús A. Santos,
Gonzalo Ortiz de Elguea-Culebras,
M. Mercedes García-Martínez,
Ana Molina,
Manuel Carmona,
María Isabel Berruga
Affiliations
Nuria Muñoz-Tebar
Food Quality Research Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
Emilio J. González-Navarro
Food Quality Research Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
Teresa María López-Díaz
Department of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
Jesús A. Santos
Department of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
Gonzalo Ortiz de Elguea-Culebras
Centro de Investigación Agroforestal de Albaladejito (IRIAF-JCCM), Carretera Toledo-Cuenca km 174, 16194 Cuenca, Spain
M. Mercedes García-Martínez
Catedra de Química Agrícola, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos y de Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
Ana Molina
Food Quality Research Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
Manuel Carmona
Food Quality Research Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
María Isabel Berruga
Food Quality Research Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
The aim of this work was to assess the antifungal and antioxidant activity of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from distilled solid by-products from aromatic plants (Artemisia dracunculus, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula stoechas, Origanum vulgare and Satureja montana) against 14 fungi strains isolated from sheep cheese and identified at species level using DNA barcoding based on β-tubulin sequence analysis. In addition, capacity of fungi to produce ochratoxin A, patulin, cyclopiazonic acid and sterigmatocystin was analyzed. Of the isolates, 85.7% belonged to Penicillium (P. commune/biforme, P. crustosum) and 14.3% to Aspergillus (A. puulaauensis and A. jensenii), the first time that these Aspergillus species have been found in sheep’s cheese. All P. commune isolates were producers of cyclopiazonic acid, and the two Aspergillus strains produced sterigmatocystin, but the others did not produce any tested mycotoxin. Among the essential oils tested, oregano, savory and tarragon had a significant antifungal activity against all the isolated strains, but no ethanolic extract showed antifungal activity. By contrast, ethanolic extracts showed great potential as antioxidants. The identification of new molds in cheese will help the dairy industry to know more about those molds affecting the sector, and the use of aromatic plants in the control of fungal spoilage could be a suitable alternative to chemical preservatives used in the agri-food industry.
