Inhibition of growth of some foodborne pathogenic bacteria by Capsicum annum extracts

The inhibitory effect of three chilli (Capsicum annum) extracts against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus cereus was investigated. Extracts from habanero, serrano and pimiento morron peppers, were included and they all inhibited growth of the four bacteria, Listeria was the most sensitive and Salmonella the most resistant. Some capsaicinoids and their precursors present in the extracts were evaluated as microbial inhibitors. The identified phenylpropanoids were: capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, cinnamic acid, m-coumaric acid and o-coumaric acid. It was concluded that cinnamic and m-coumaric acids contributed to the inhibition of the four bacteria via the chilli extracts. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.