The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant(MDR)foodborne pathogens presents a critical and growing threat to global food safety,endangering millions of lives annually.Essential oils(EOs)have garnered significant atten...The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant(MDR)foodborne pathogens presents a critical and growing threat to global food safety,endangering millions of lives annually.Essential oils(EOs)have garnered significant attention as natural alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials,demonstrating robust antibacterial activity against diverse MDR pathogens.This review delves into the multifaceted antibacterial mechanisms of EOs,including their ability to disrupt cell membranes and inhibit vital metabolic processes.Notably,combining EOs often yields synergistic effects,reducing the required concentrations for efficacy,though occasional antagonistic interactions warrant further investigation.Advances such as EO-nanoparticle integration have amplified their antimicrobial potency,with nanoencapsulation techniques extending food product shelf life and enhancing controlled release.Furthermore,in silico tools have emerged as powerful predictors of synergistic EO combinations,offering high accuracy and efficiency.Despite these promising developments,critical challenges persist,including the optimization of EO formulations,mitigation of sensory impacts,assurance of long-term safety in diverse food systems,and the establishment of clear regulatory and scalability pathways.This review also addresses challenges,such as organoleptic properties and legal frameworks,essential for successful EO adoption in the food industry.By combining EOs with emerging technologies,this work underscores their immense potential to revolutionize food preservation,improve safety,and combat the public health risks posed by MDR pathogens.展开更多
基金The authors express their gratitude to the Deanship of Scientific Research(DSR)at King Faisal University under project no.[KFU242063]for supporting this work.
文摘The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant(MDR)foodborne pathogens presents a critical and growing threat to global food safety,endangering millions of lives annually.Essential oils(EOs)have garnered significant attention as natural alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials,demonstrating robust antibacterial activity against diverse MDR pathogens.This review delves into the multifaceted antibacterial mechanisms of EOs,including their ability to disrupt cell membranes and inhibit vital metabolic processes.Notably,combining EOs often yields synergistic effects,reducing the required concentrations for efficacy,though occasional antagonistic interactions warrant further investigation.Advances such as EO-nanoparticle integration have amplified their antimicrobial potency,with nanoencapsulation techniques extending food product shelf life and enhancing controlled release.Furthermore,in silico tools have emerged as powerful predictors of synergistic EO combinations,offering high accuracy and efficiency.Despite these promising developments,critical challenges persist,including the optimization of EO formulations,mitigation of sensory impacts,assurance of long-term safety in diverse food systems,and the establishment of clear regulatory and scalability pathways.This review also addresses challenges,such as organoleptic properties and legal frameworks,essential for successful EO adoption in the food industry.By combining EOs with emerging technologies,this work underscores their immense potential to revolutionize food preservation,improve safety,and combat the public health risks posed by MDR pathogens.
