Antimicrobial effects of 150 kinds of Korean and 82 kinds of Indonesian plants were investigated to develope natural food preservatives. Extracts of the plants with 70% ethanol were tested their antimicrobial effects against several food spoilage microorganisms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Seventeen kinds of Korean and eighteen kinds of Indonesian plants were found relatively effective, of which Myristica fragrans and Melaleuca leucadendra were the most effective, respectively. The major fractions of the two plant extracts showing antimicrobial activity were further purified by solvent fractionation, silicagel column chromatography and preparative HPLC. The purified substances were identified as limonene and caprylic acid in M. fragrans, and ¥á-terpineol in M. leucadendra, respectively.
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