Effects of cyclodextrins on the antimicrobial activity of plant-derived essential oil compounds

Essential oils (EOs) from plants are considered to be a safer alternative when compared to synthetic antimicrobial food additives. However, a major drawback of many EOs is their hydrophobic nature, which makes them insoluble in water based media and matrices. Although cyclodextrins (CDs) can increase the solubility of EO compounds, the effects of CDs on the antimicrobial activity of EOs have not been reported. In this paper, four different EO compounds (carvacrol, eugenol, linalool and 2-pentanoylfuran) were chosen to study the influence of CDs on the solubility and antimicrobial activity on bacteria and yeast. The greatest enhancement with regards to solubility of the four test compounds was achieved by hydroxypropyl-β-CD. In most instances, not only were the minimal antimicrobial concentrations of EO compounds decreased, but the interactivity of two combined EO compounds could be strengthened by the co-addition of CDs. Furthermore, the combination of carvacrol with hydroxypropyl-β-CD caused a marked change in the major membrane lipid composition of all microorganisms investigated; while scanning electron microscopy revealed that cellular integrity was significantly affected by 2× MIC, ultimately resulting in cell lysis.