Nanoemulsification of Rose (Rosa damascena) Essential Oil: Characterization, Anti-Salmonella, In Vitro Cytotoxicity to Cancer Cells, and Advantages in Sheep Meat Application

Abstract

Nowadays, consumers are pushing for the use of natural preservatives such as essential oils (EOs) in the fresh and processed foods, including meat. However, this action is related to a variety of challenges that are associated with essential oils, including low solubility in water, high volatility, and limited long-term stability. These factors collectively reduce their effective utilization in this application. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the morphology and stability of the Rosa damascena essential oil nanoemulsion (RDNE), as well as its antibacterial and anticancer properties. Also, we examined its effects on the quality characteristics of ground sheep meat during the refrigerated storage. The zeta potential and particle size of RDNE were −47.5 mV and 100 nm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the RDNE against Salmonella typhimurium were 375 and 750 µg/mL, respectively. The most inhibition of biofilm formation (80%) was observed for RDNE at 2 MIC. The RDNE had an inhibitory effect on the expression of the Salmonella enterotoxin gene (stn). The obtained IC50 of RDNE against colon and cervical cancer cell lines (HCT 116 and HeLa cells) were 3.31 and 4.6 µg/mL, respectively. Adding RDNE at a concentration of 250 µg/g to fresh ground meat resulted in the total bacterial count (TBC) remaining below 8 log CFU/g during storage. Moreover, the samples coated with RDNE (250 µg/g) had the fewest coliforms, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), S. typhimurium, pH, and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content. RDNE coating improved the flavor and overall acceptability of the samples. Therefore, RDNE is recommended as a natural preservative agent to enhance the bacterial and chemical stability of sheep meat.