Oregano, Cranberry May Inhibit Bacteria

Oregano, Cranberry May Inhibit Bacteria

AMHERST, Mass.--Scientists from the University of Massachusettsevaluated the antimicrobial activity of optimized phenolics from oregano andcranberry extracts against Listeria monocytogenes in laboratory media andin beef and fish.

The antimicrobial activity was found to increase when oregano and cranberryextracts were mixed at a ratio of 75 percent oregano and 25 percent cranberrywith 0.1 mg of phenolic per disk or ml. Scientists also found efficacy wasfurther enhanced by lactic acid. The inhibition by the phytochemical and lacticacid synergies was most effective when beef and fish slices were stored at 4degrees Celsius, the scientists wrote.

The study is published in the September issue of Applied and EnvironmentalMicrobiology, (70, 9:5672-5678, 2004), (http://aem.asm.org).