Effect of Prunus mume Extract Containing Beverages on the Proliferation of Food-borne Pathogens

매실 추출물을 함유한 음료가 식중독 유발균의 성장에 미치는 영향

Prunus mume has been used for the folk medicine by many old civilizations to treat food-borne diseases or enteric disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of beverages containing Prunus mume extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, Shigella sonnei, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Seven different types of Prunus mume extracts containing beverages have been prepared for the test in which minimum inhibitory concentration for each microorganism has been determined by serial dilution method using either TSA or TSB medium. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed least resistance and 0.3g/$m\ell$ concentrations of 5% Prunus mume extracts containing beverage had antimicrobial property against the organism. Beverages containing more than 15% of Prunus mume extracts showed antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms at the MIC value of less than 0.25g/$m\ell$. The effect of Prunus mume on the growth of food-borne pathogens has been also studied using a spectrophotometer. In the growth assay, each of the Prunus mume extracts containing beverage was added to the medium at the concentration of 25% (v/v). Beverage containing 20% Prunus mume extracts showed inhibitory effect on the growth of all tested microorganisms.