Antimicrobial pizza herb
21 Mar 2014 by Evoluted New Media
A simple herb used on pizzas could play an important role in defeating the winter vomiting bug say American researchers.
Carvacrol – the substance found in oregano oil which gives the herb its distinctive warm, aromatic smell and flavour – can break down the tough exterior coat of the norovirus. It would make a particularly attractive alternative to traditional cleaning products as its safe, non-corrosive and non-toxic.
The human form of norovirus is incredibly difficult to work with so researchers from the University of Arizona used the mouse form of the virus which is the most similar in its resistance to antimicrobials and disinfectants.
“I was familiar with a fair amount of research that had been conducted with carvacrol and oregano oil against numerous pathogenic bacteria,” Dr Kelly Bright told Laboratory News. “They were both highly effective against fairly diverse bacterial species so I wondered if they would work against a non-enveloped virus such as murine norovirus (which are typically a lot more difficult to kill than bacteria).”
In experiments, carvacrol appeared to act directly on the tough protein layer surrounding the virus, causing it to break down.
“Carvacrol could potentially be used as a food sanitizer and possibly as a surface sanitizer, particularly in conjunction with other antimicrobials,” said Bright, who led the research. “We have some work to do to assess its potential but carvacrol has a unique way of attacking the virus, which makes it an interesting prospect.”
Carvacrol is slower acting than many disinfectants meaning it could be used as part of a routine cleaning regime to provide long-lasting antimicrobial residue on surfaces. And because it acts on the external proteins of the norovirus, it is unlikely that the virus would develop a resistance.
However, a pizza-heavy diet won’t prevent the norovirus and concentrated carvacol – although non-toxic – would be quite unpleasant, causing a burning sensation and numbness on the tongue.
The research – funded by the US Departments of Agriculture’s Organic Research and Extension Initiative – was published in Journal of Applied Microbiology.
Bright is now conducting experiments with these antimicrobials (and other plant antimicrobials) against hepatitis A virus which is also a major cause of viral foodborne disease: “I hope to expand this work to other viruses in the future including some enveloped viruses such as influenza virus.”
