Effect of variety, location & maturity stage at harvesting, on essential oil chemical composition, and weight yield of Zingiber officinale roscoe grown in Sri Lanka

Harvest time optimization for medicinal and aromatic plant secondary metabolites

Plant secondary metabolites (SMs) play a crucial role in shielding plants from pathogens and environmental stressors. These natural products find widespread applications across various industries, including pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and healthcare. However, the quantity and quality of these compounds in plants can be influenced by factors such as genetics, morphology, plant age, and the seasonal and daily variations. The timing of harvest holds particular significance for medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) as their active compounds peak at a specific moment during the plant growth cycle. Determining the optimal harvest time is essential to ensure the plants meet their intended cultivation goal. In this review, we analyzed how developmental and external factors impact the qualitative and quantitative effectiveness of SMs in MAPs. We examined recent studies on the effects of environmental and developmental factors on SMs of MAPs, compiling relevant data for analysis. The results of this review demonstrate how these factors influence the quantity and quality of plant SMs, underscoring the importance of determining the optimal harvest time (known as the balsamic time) to maximize the utilization of these compounds. Our findings offer crucial insights into the factors affecting SMs, serving as a tool for quality control in MAPs production. Moreover, this review can be a valuable resource for researchers, farmers, and industrial users aiming to optimize plant growth and harvest timing for maximum yield. Overall, our review provides valuable information for devising effective strategies to produce high-quality MAPs products.

Effect of ginger essential oil and 6-gingerol on a multispecies biofilm of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential antimicrobial and antibiofilm effect of ginger essential oil (GEO) and 6-gingerol on a multispecies biofilm formed by Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on a polypropylene surface. The minimum inhibitory concentration concentrations obtained for GEO were 100 and 50 mg/mL and for 6-gingerol 1.25 mg/mL. Sessile cell counts ranged within 5.35-7.35 log CFU/cm2 in the control biofilm, with the highest sessile growth at 72 h. GEO treatments acted on the total population regardless of concentration at 1 and 48 h. L. monocytogenes behaved similarly to the total population, showing GEO action at 1 h and keeping the same pattern at 48, 72, and 96 h. Better action on S. Typhimurium was obtained at times of 1, 72, and 96 h. P. aeruginosa showed logarithmic reduction only when treated with GEO 50 mg at 24 h. As for 6-gingerol, in general, there was no significant action (p > 0.05) on the evaluated sessile cells. GEO showed antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes, S. Typhimurium, and P. aeruginosa, acting as an inhibitor of biofilm formation. As for 6-gingerol, it was considered a possible antimicrobial agent but without efficacy during biofilm formation.