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Antibiotics
Special Issues
Antimicrobial Properties of Natural Substances: Alternatives for Managing Microbial Contamination
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Antimicrobial Properties of Natural Substances: Alternatives for Managing Microbial Contamination

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant-Derived Antibiotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1073

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bojana Danilović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Technology in Leskovac, University of Niš, 16000 Leskovac, Serbia
Interests: fermented food; wine production; probiotics; starter cultures; food waste; chitosan; nanoparticles; essential oils; biopolymer packaging; and antimicrobial activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ivana Karabegović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, University of Niš, 16000 Leskovac, Serbia
Interests: food and beverage; extraction and characterization of bioactive compounds; wine and winemaking; bioactive and functional food; optimization and simulation methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-derived natural substances offer promising alternatives for managing microbial contamination, particularly in a world increasingly seeking eco-friendly solutions. Essential oils, for example, have long been used for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Herbal extracts also demonstrate potent antimicrobial actions. The appeal of natural substances lies not only in their effectiveness but also in their biodegradability and safety compared to synthetic chemicals. With growing concerns about antimicrobial resistance and environmental impact, these alternatives present a valuable path toward safer and more sustainable microbial contamination management, particularly in healthcare, agriculture, and food industries. Many plant extracts and essential oils have gained significant interest in preventing contamination in food due to their GRAS status. Therefore, the main subject of this Special Issue is the application of different antimicrobial plant-derived natural substances with GRAS status and their formulations in the prevention of contamination in agriculture and food.

Prof. Dr. Bojana Danilović
Prof. Dr. Ivana Karabegović
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antimicrobial activity
  • microbial contamination
  • essential oils
  • plant extracts

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 497 KB  
Article
Potential of Chitosan-Based Basil Essential Oil Nanoparticles in Preventing Microbial Contamination of Beef
by Natalija Đorđević, Ivana Karabegović, Jelena Stanojević, Pero Sailović, Slavica Vesković Moračanin, Dragiša Savić and Bojana Danilović
Antibiotics 2026, 15(5), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15050442 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 636
Abstract
Background: Microbial contamination of fresh beef remains a major challenge in the meat industry, driving the need for effective natural preservation strategies that can extend shelf life while meeting consumer demand. Methods: Chitosan-based edible coatings enriched with free and nanoencapsulated Ocimum basilicum L. [...] Read more.
Background: Microbial contamination of fresh beef remains a major challenge in the meat industry, driving the need for effective natural preservation strategies that can extend shelf life while meeting consumer demand. Methods: Chitosan-based edible coatings enriched with free and nanoencapsulated Ocimum basilicum L. essential oil at concentrations of 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% were evaluated for their efficacy on fresh beef during 20 days of refrigerated storage. Microbiological parameters, including total bacterial count, lactic acid bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, and Pseudomonas spp., as well as physicochemical indicators such as pH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, were monitored at regular intervals throughout storage. Results: All active coatings significantly retarded microbial growth and lipid oxidation compared to the uncoated control (p < 0.05), with effects being concentration-dependent. Nanoencapsulation was achieved with an efficiency of 74%, and all formulations consistently showed better results compared to free essential oil coatings at equivalent concentrations. Application of a chitosan coating with 1% nanoencapsulated essential oil reduced total viable count by 1.5 log CFU/g and lactic acid bacteria by 0.7 log CFU/g, with the most pronounced effect observed for Pseudomonas spp. (1.9 log CFU/g reduction). In the same sample, MDA content remained below the threshold level until the end of storage. Additionally, sensory analysis indicated that the use of nanoparticles significantly improved the overall acceptability of the coated beef. Conclusions: These findings confirm that chitosan–basil nanoparticle coatings represent a promising natural alternative to conventional preservatives for improving microbiological safety and extending the shelf life of fresh beef. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Properties of Natural Substances: Alternatives for Managing Microbial Contamination)
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