Antimicrobial Effect of Mentha piperita (Peppermint) Oil against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Salmonella Enteritidis in Various Dairy Foods: Preliminary Study

There are more than 25 species of Mentha plants, which are aromatic perennial herbs. Currently, these species are being widely used with great interest because of various clinical findings regarding their health benefits. This is due to the abundance of volatile compounds that could expedite environmental interactions such as protection against herbivores, parasites, pathogens, and so on. Therefore, in this study, the antimicrobial effect of Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil on Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Salmonella Enteritidis were investigated using the spot-on-lawn method. The results show that Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil exhibited antimicrobial activities against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Cronobacter sakazakii; however, it did not inhibit the growth of Salmonella Enteritidis. This shows that the antimicrobial effect of Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil is effective against both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria. Hence, in the present study, Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil was shown to have strong antimicrobial activities; it could be used as a potential food additive for improving the quality of various milk-based products due to its various bioactive properties. Future studies should be conducted for manufacturing functional dairy products with the addition of peppermint oil to prevent and/or alleviate specific diseases.