Antimicrobial Activity of Cinnamomum camphora Wood and Its Extracts Against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes

Abstract

Chopping boards may harbor pathogenic microorganisms that can cross-contaminate food products, leading to foodborne illnesses. Therefore, attempts have been made to create chopping boards from Cinnamomum camphora wood with inherent antibacterial properties. This study investigated the antimicrobial effects of C. camphora wood chips, steam-distilled extracts, and essential oils derived from C. camphora wood. The growth curve of bacterial cells treated with C. camphora wood chips demonstrated superior growth inhibition effects against Listeria monocytogenes compared to Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium. However, the growth inhibitory effect of the C. camphora wood steam distillation extract was more pronounced against E. coli O157:H7 and S. typhimurium than against L. monocytogenes. C. camphora wood essential oils completely inhibited the growth of E. coli O157:H7 and S. typhimurium at both the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). However, for L. monocytogenes, although growth inhibition was observed at the MBC, a rapid resurgence in growth was observed after 20 h at the MIC. These results indicate that the pattern of growth inhibition among the three bacterial strains was different from that of various substances derived from C. camphora wood. We have provided the first experimental data that may serve as a foundation for the practical application of C. camphora wood for antimicrobial purposes.