Rev Argent Microbiol
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Rev Argent Microbiol · Apr 2013
Antimicrobial activity of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) against food pathogens.
Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) has been studied for its important biological activities mainly attributed to phenolic compounds. This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of yerba mate against food pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli through minimum inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations, in addition to the determination of chemical composition by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and phenolic content. ⋯ The ethanolic extract showed the lowest MIC/MBC (0.78/0.78 mg/ml), the highest phenolic content (193.9 g. GAE/kg) and the presence of chlorogenic acid derivatives, especially 3-O-caffeoylquinic and caffeic acid. This extract was able to inhibit microbial growth at pH 7 and 8.