Abstract Black pepper ( Piper nigrum ), a tropical plant widely used as a culinary spice, possesses essential oils with significant bioactive potential. This study investigated the chemical composition and biological activities of black pepper essential oil (BPEO), focusing on its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and in silico evaluation. GC-MS analysis identified major compounds including caryophyllene, d -limonene and sabinene. Antimicrobial assays revealed bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative foodborne pathogens, with consistent MBC/MIC ratios of 2, indicating uniform efficacy. BPEO also significantly increased the proportion of sublethally injured cells, particularly Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , suggesting the presence of membrane disruptive mechanisms. The antioxidant capacity of BPEO was assessed using TAC, FRAP, and ABTS assays, revealing notable results: 147.45 mg AAE/mL (TAC), 130.13 mg TE/mL (FRAP), and an ABTS IC 50 of 9.93 mg/mL, although lower in potency than Trolox. In silico molecular docking analyses further revealed strong binding affinities of key BPEO compounds to bacterial targets such as E. coli β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase and Staphylococcus aureus nucleoside diphosphate kinase, with Glide scores as low as −7.377 kcal/mol. While γ-terpinene showed strong antioxidant docking scores, it lacked specific hydrogen bonding interactions, suggesting alternative modes of action. This multidisciplinary study highlights BPEO as a promising candidate for natural food preservation and the development of novel antimicrobial strategies.
Ghaffouli et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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