Authors
Behnaz Azimzadeh, Muiz O Akinyemi, Bukola A Onarinde
Published in
World journal of microbiology & biotechnology. Volume 42. Issue 9. Aug 27, 2026. Epub Aug 27, 2026.
Abstract
The application of essential oils as biopreservatives is hindered by their high volatility, chemical instability, and potential sensory impact. This study presents an eco-friendly preservation strategy by encapsulating the most potent antimicrobial EOs within Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. These oils were subsequently encapsulated into autolyzed yeast cells, a process optimized at 45 °C to maximize cell integrity and oil loading. Encapsulation efficiency varied with EO chemistry, being highest for cinnamon (eugenol-rich) and lowest for rosemary (camphor-rich). In vitro assays showed encapsulation differentially modulated efficacy. It reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cinnamon EO by 50% (from 6.25 to 3.12 µL, p < 0.05) while increasing the MIC for thyme and oregano. Importantly, in a real-world ham model, yeast-encapsulated EOs applied at their MIC achieved a superior, sustained bactericidal effect against E. coli over a six-day storage period. Encapsulated thyme and cinnamon reduced bacterial survival to below detectable limits within 24 h under specific packaging, outperforming free EO treatments (p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate that yeast microencapsulation successfully overcomes the key limitations of EOs, transforming them into stable, effective, and natural preservatives. The study provides proof-of-concept for S. cerevisiae as a GRAS, biodegradable delivery system, offering a promising antibiotic-free approach to enhance the safety and shelf-life of meat products.
PMID:
42658348
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Aug 2026.
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