Natural antibacterial activity of Thai red curry paste in coconut milk based curry; Kang-Kati, Model on Salmonella sp. and Listeria monocytogenes

Abstract

Since 2006, Salmonella sp. and Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks have occurred frequently in a variety food types all over the world. Thai red curry paste is composed of 7 herbs which have been investigated for their antimicrobial activity in different independent laboratories. The investigation aimed to study the antibacterial activity of Thai red curry paste in a coconut milk based curry; Kang-Kati, as a real food model against S. enteric Enteritidis (human) and L. monocytogenes 10403S. The standard plate count method as CFU/ml was used to evaluate the Thai red curry paste’s in vitro antibacterial activity every hour for 6 h at room temperature. The Thai red curry paste was extracted according to the traditional Thai home cooking as Kang-Kati. The log CFU/ml of S. enteric Enteritidis (human) level was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the Kang-Kati model than in nutrient broth (NB) as control at only 3rd and 4th h; 3rd h; 5.53±0.027 and 5.65±0.019, and at 4th h; 5.62±0.07 and 5.80±0.03 log CFU/ml, respectively. While the log CFU/ml of the L. monocytogenes level was also significantly lower (P < 0.05) in Kang-Kati than in NB at 3rd and 4th h; 3rd h; 5.49±0.01 and 5.61±0.02, and at 4th h 5.63±0.02 and 5.70±0.04 for log CFU/ml, respectively. The Thai red curry paste in Kang-Kati as a real food model showed promising natural antibacterial activity against the food borne pathogens, enteric Enteritidis (human) and L. monocytogenes 104003S.