Siamese neem tree as a natural preservative: Chemical profile, antioxidant properties, and antibacterial efficacy against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of various ethanol in water solvent systems (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % v/v) on the extraction crude yield, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and chemical profile of Azadirachta indica (Siamese neem tree) leaf extracts. In addition, the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties were investigated using in vitro assays. Crude yield was highest for the water extract (5.78 g/100 g DW) and decreased with increased ethanol. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were highest in the 75 % ethanol extract (26.95 mg GAE/g crude and 23.73 mg QE/g crude, respectively). GC-MS analysis of the 75 % ethanol extract revealed 33 bioactive compounds, accounting for 96.33 % of the total area. Significant components included benzene, 1,4-bis(phenylmethyl)- (15.05 %), and naphthalene, 1,6-dimethyl- (10.98 %); also present were sterols, fatty acids, hydrocarbons, aromatic, and heterocyclic compounds, indicating a complex chemical profile. In antioxidant assays, the 75 % ethanol extract revealed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50: 143.03 mg/L), reducing power (IC50: 378.69 mg/L), and lipid peroxidation (IC50: 526.25 mg/L). However, the absolute ethanol extract exhibited both the highest metal chelating activity (IC50: 382.60 mg/L) and the strongest antimicrobial activity, inhibiting all 11 tested foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 25 mg/mL was observed for Staphylococcus aureus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Latilactobacillus sakei, Streptococcus sp., and Lactococcus cremoris, with inhibition zone diameters of 27.21, 28.79, 28.19, 17.60, 15.09 and 11.20 mm, respectively. Similarly, the lowest minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 25 mg/mL was obtained for S. aureus and L. sakei, indicating potent antibacterial effects against these species. Future studies should include direct comparative analyses of neem extracts and synthetic preservatives to evaluate further their relative efficacy and applicability in real-world food systems.

Keywords

• Azadirachta indica
• Antioxidant
• Antimicrobial
• Natural antimicrobials
• Natural food additive
• Solvent extract