Reduction of Aeromonas hidrophyla biofilm on stainless stell surface by essential oils

This study demonstrates the possibility of using sanitizing detergents based on natural products for the elimination and/or reduction of Aeromonas hydrophila biofilm formed on stainless steel surfaces. The goal of this work was to determine the reduction effect of sanitizing detergents containing essential oils of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) on biofilm formed by A. hydrophila on AISI 304 stainless steel coupons, using UHT skimmed milk as substratum. There was adhesion and biofilm formation by A. hydrophila at 28 degrees C, presenting 7.60 log cfu.cm(-2) after the fourth day of cultivation. There was no significant difference between the lemongrass treatment and that of the thyme oil (p < 0.05). However, both treatments significantly reduced the biofilm, differing significantly from the NaOH control (p > 0.05). The treatment with lemongrass solution reduced the biofilm by 4.51 log cfu cm(-2) at 25 degrees C. The thyme detergent also reduced the number of cfu cm(-2) by 3.84 log cycles at 25 degrees C. The use of the lemongrass and thyme solutions efficiently reduced the A. hydrophila biofilm.