Essential Oils: Nature's New Weapon Against Food Poisoning

By Ailyn De La O

Fig. The effects of essential oils on the enzymes that are engaged in the quorum-sensing pathway's degradation phases. Three kinds of enzymes can be overexpressed by some essential oils, which can impact the availability of acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs), which are signaling molecules in QS pathways.  (1) By hydrolyzing the ester bond in an aqueous environment, lactonases can open the homoserine lactone ring, preventing AHL molecules from attaching to their target transcriptional regulators and thereby facilitating quorum quenching.  (2) Oxidoreductases alter the way that AHLs interact with quorum receptors by promoting the oxidation or reduction of their acyl chain without breaking them down.  (3) To stop quorum signals, acilases hydrolyze the amide link that connects the acyl chain to the homoserine lactone ring.

The potential of plant-essential oils (EOs) and their nanoemulsions (such as oil and water) as natural food preservatives to combat dangerous foodborne pathogen proliferation in chicken and poultry meats, like Salmonella Heidelberg, and Listeria monocytogenes. What is particularly interesting is that these oils offer a tolerable and healthier alternative to synthetic preservatives and are important to enhancing food safety and shelf-life. It was found that essential oils extracted from plants such as cinnamon, clove, oregano, and rosemary are highly effective against a wide range of foodborne bacteria. This study focuses on how these EOs work by counteracting "bacterial virulence," which means they don't just kill the bacteria, but specifically interfere with the mechanisms that make them harmful.  According to research, EOs prevent to inhibit biofilm formation, a protective layer bacteria create to resist treatment, and quorum, the bacterial communication system that triggers collective attack behaviors. EOs also exert their effectiveness by disrupting bacterial cell membranes and inducing oxidative stress. By proving the effect of Eos and their nanoemulsions (ultrafine mixtures that improve stability and activity), the findings lay the groundwork for a significant shift in food preservation and safety. This can have a direct impact on food industry and agriculture, leading to a widespread adoption of natural, plant-based technologies for keeping meat, poultry, and dairy in production safer and fresher for longer, best benefiting public health. Of course, their usage in food must be carefully considered because misuse can result in toxicity, allergic reactions, and the emergence of bacterial resistance. 

Original Article:

Fidelis J, Bernardo YA de A, de Souza HCA, Conte-Junior CA, Paschoalin VMF. 2025. Modulating bacterial virulence: The role of food-plant essential oils in counteracting foodborne pathogen threats – A systematic review. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 442:111382. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111382.