Επιστημονική δημοσίευση στο περιοδικό Food Chemistry σχετικά με τη χημική σύσταση του μαστιχόνερου και την αντιμικροβιακή του δράση

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.05.043

Chemical investigation and antimicrobial properties of mastic water and its major constituents

Mastic water is a commercial flavoring obtained during the steam distillation of mastic resin (the resin of Pistacia lentiscus var. chia) for the production of mastic oil. The mastic water extracts were analyzed by GCMS. The major compounds identified were verbenone, α-terpineol, linalool and trans-pinocarveol. Overall the composition was found to be very different from that of mastic oil. Additional GCMS revealed the enantiomeric ratio of the chiral constituents of mastic water. The antimicrobial activity of mastic water extract, as well as that of its major constituents, was examined against E. coli, S.aureus and Candida spp including ATCC, wild clinical and food borne strains. Linalool and α-terpineol were found to be the most potent antimicrobial constituents. Finally the stability of mastic water in different temperatures was studied, showing no change in the GCMS profile of the organic extract for a period of 4 months at storage temperatures up to 4^oC.