Antimicrobial effect of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Presl) bark essential oil in cream-filled cakes and pastries

Abstract

Background and objectives: Food poisoning has been always a major concern in health system of every community and cream-filled products are one of the most widespread food poisoning causes in humans. In present study, we examined the preservative effect of the cinnamon oil in cream-filled cakes. Methods: Antimicrobial activity of <em>Cinnamomum verum</em> J. Presl (Cinnamon) bark essential oil was examined against five food-borne pathogens (<em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Candida albicans</em>, <em>Bacillus cereus</em> and <em>Salmonella</em> <em>typhimurium</em>) to investigate its potential for use as a natural preservative in cream-filled baked goods. Chemical constituents of the oil were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For evaluation of preservative sufficiency of the oil, pathogens were added to cream-filled cakes manually and 1 μL/mL of the essential oil was added to all samples except the blank. Results: Chemical constituents of the oil were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and twenty five components were identified where cinnamaldehyde (79.73%), linalool (4.08%), cinnamaldehyde para-methoxy (2.66%), eugenol (2.37%) and trans-caryophyllene (2.05%) were the major constituents. Cinnamon essential oil showed strong antimicrobial activity against selected pathogens<em> in vitro</em> and the minimum inhibitory concentration values against all tested microorganisms were determined as 0.5 μL/disc except for <em>S. aureus</em> for which, the oil was not effective in tested concentrations. After baking, no observable microorganism was observed in all susceptible microorganisms count in 72h stored samples. Conclusion: It was concluded that by analysing the sensory quality of the preserved food, cinnamon oil may be considered as a natural preservative in food industry, especially for cream-filled cakes and pastries.