Detection of Microbial Contamination in Fast Food and the Efficacy of Citrus Leaf Extracts | ||||
| Alexandria Science Exchange Journal | ||||
| Article 9, Volume 46, Issue 3, September 2025, Page 669-682 PDF (495.58 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2025.450432 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Shemaa A. Salem  1; Gamal ’Mohamed Hamad 2; Nader R. Abdelsalam 3
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| 1Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, 21531 Alexandria, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Department of Food Technology, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, New Borg El-Arab 21934, Egypt | ||||
| 3Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture Saba-Bacha, Alexandria University, 22 Tag El-Roasa St. Saba Pacha, Boulkly P.O. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies foodborne illnesses as toxic or infectious disorders, with over 200 causal agents identified. A study was conducted on 50 samples of fast-food sandwiches from 10 local markets in Alexandria governorate, including liver, sausage, fries, falafel, and beans. Pathogenic strains of E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Bacillus cereus were collected from Ain Shams University's Faculty of Agriculture in Cairo, Egypt. Pathogenic strains were isolated from fast food samples using selective media as a traditional method, and multiplex PCR method was used as a method for isolating microbes using genetic techniques. The Experimental Farm of the City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications in New Borg El Arab city, Egypt, was used to gather the leaves of Citrus limon, Citrus sinensis, and Citrus unshiu. In liver sandwich samples, almost 60% of the samples were infected by Klebsiella pneumonia or Salmonella typhimurium but only 40% of the sample tested positive to Bacillus cereus. In sausage sandwiches, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were found in 60% of samples, while 70% tested positive for Bacillus cereus. In falafel sandwiches, 50% were infected with Staphylococcus aureus, while 40% tested positive for E. coli, Bacillus cereus, and Salmonella typhimurium. The aqueous extract of citrus leaves showed outstanding capacity for inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms found in fast food samples, as the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the tested citrus leaves extract ranged from 1.6 to 3.2 mg/ml against all the tested strains. Lemon leaf extract exhibiting the highest antibacterial activity with 1.6 mg/ml MIC and the highest antioxidant capacity with IC50 equal 47.96(µg/ml). | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Multiplex PCR; detection; antimicrobial control analysis; contaminations; fast food | ||||
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