{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T19:57:49Z","timestamp":1785441469398,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background:<\/jats:title>\n The consumption of commercial enteral formulas (CEFs) is increasing worldwide. Given the possibility of contamination of these formulas during preparation and consumption, it is crucial to utilize antimicrobial substances to enhance the safety and quality of them. This study aims to assess the (i) microbiological quality of CEFs and (ii) antibacterial and antioxidant effects of thyme, saffron, and turmeric extract mixture on CEFs.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods:<\/jats:title>\n \n First, 50 samples were collected and analyzed to determine the growth of\n total viable microorganisms<\/jats:italic>\n (\n TVC<\/jats:italic>\n ),\n coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus<\/jats:italic>\n (\n S. aureus<\/jats:italic>\n ), and\n Escherichia coli<\/jats:italic>\n (\n E. coli<\/jats:italic>\n ). Then, the minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts was determined by the microdilution method, and the antibacterial effects of the mixed extracts were measured on 26 samples by\n TVC<\/jats:italic>\n at the time of sampling, 2, 4, and 24 hours after preparation. Additionally, the antioxidant activity of the mixed extracts was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results:<\/jats:title>\n \n In the microbial analysis of food formulas,\n S. aureus<\/jats:italic>\n and\n E. coli<\/jats:italic>\n were not observed, but the\n coliforms<\/jats:italic>\n contamination (3.67 \u00b1 0.18 CFU\/mL) and\n TVC<\/jats:italic>\n (4.29 \u00b1 0.10 CFU\/mL) were higher than the standard of U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, the mixture of aqueous extract of saffron, turmeric, and thyme demonstrated a significant reduction in microbial load within 24 hours. The DPPH analysis indicated that the aqueous extract mixture increased antioxidant activity (38.7%) significantly in comparison to CEFs without extract (19.59%) (\n P<\/jats:italic>\n value < 0.001).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n The results of this study indicate that CEFs exhibit high levels of microbial contamination. The extracts of thyme, saffron, and turmeric, however, have the potential to reduce microbial load and enhance antioxidant activity.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/ijpvm.ijpvm_233_24","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T19:00:36Z","timestamp":1785438036000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Microbiological Quality of Commercial Enteral Formulas and Investigation of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Effects of Thyme, Saffron, and Turmeric Extract Mixture"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Raheleh","family":"Sadeghzadeh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammad","family":"Bagherniya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Masoud","family":"Sami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20260730","first-page":"604","article-title":"Bacterial safety of commercial and handmade enteral feeds in an Iranian teaching hospital","volume":"5","author":"Baniardalan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int J Prev Med"},{"key":"R2-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"583","DOI":"10.1590\/S1517-838246220131141","article-title":"Microbiological quality and safe handling of enteral diets in a hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil","volume":"46","author":"Pinto","year":"2015","journal-title":"Braz J Microbiol"},{"key":"R3-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9563","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17249563","article-title":"The microbial quality and safety of blenderised enteral nutrition formula: A systematic review","volume":"17","author":"Ojo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"R4-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"302","DOI":"10.1002\/ncp.10954","article-title":"Pediatric formulas: Categories, composition, and considerations","volume":"38","author":"Klepper","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nutr Clin Pract"},{"key":"R5-20260730","first-page":"e2021263","article-title":"Enteral nutrition management in the critical care patient: Intensive care nurses'practices of tube feeding","volume":"23","author":"Sefero\u011flu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Prog Nutr"},{"key":"R6-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"730","DOI":"10.1177\/0884533616669703","article-title":"Reemergence of blenderized tube feedings: Exploring the evidence","volume":"31","author":"Bobo","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nutr Clin Pract"},{"key":"R7-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"479","DOI":"10.1002\/ncp.10450","article-title":"Accepted safe food-handling procedures minimizes microbial contamination of home-prepared blenderized tube-feeding","volume":"35","author":"Milton","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nutr Clin Pract"},{"key":"R8-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"360","DOI":"10.1002\/ncp.10893","article-title":"Designing blenderized tube feeding diets for children and investigating their physicochemical and microbial properties and dietary inflammatory index","volume":"38","author":"Bahramian","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nutr Clin Pract"},{"key":"R9-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2019.04.022","article-title":"ESPEN guideline on home enteral nutrition","volume":"39","author":"Bischoff","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Nutr"},{"key":"R10-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"667","DOI":"10.1111\/jhn.12685","article-title":"A laboratory-based evaluation of tube blocking and microbial risks associated with one blended enteral feed recipe","volume":"32","author":"Madden","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Hum Nutr Diet"},{"key":"R11-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1574-6941.2011.01279.x","article-title":"Effect of a synbiotic on microbial community structure in a continuous culture model of the gastric microbiota in enteral nutrition patients","volume":"80","author":"Smith","year":"2012","journal-title":"FEMS Microbiol Ecol"},{"key":"R12-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107648","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodcont.2020.107648","article-title":"Laboratory investigations into the cause of multiple serious and fatal food poisoning incidents in Uganda during 2019","volume":"121","author":"Haughey","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Control"},{"key":"R13-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2016.11.020","article-title":"Nutritional and microbiological quality of commercial and homemade blenderized whole food enteral diets for home-based enteral nutritional therapy in adults","volume":"37","author":"Vieira","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin Nutr"},{"key":"R14-20260730","first-page":"129","article-title":"Exploring the safety and hygiene of enteral tube feedings by 16S rRNA based sequencing: A risk factor in healthful nutrition","volume":"11","author":"Ahangari","year":"2020","journal-title":"Arch Pharma Pract"},{"key":"R15-20260730","first-page":"2122","article-title":"Microbiological quality of enteral feeding and infant formula produced in dietary units, according to the triad of Donabedian","volume":"31","author":"da Silva Santos","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nutr Hosp"},{"key":"R16-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1002\/ncp.10226","article-title":"Comparison of microbial growth between commercial formula and blenderized food for tube feeding","volume":"34","author":"Johnson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nutr Clin Pract"},{"key":"R17-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108966","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108966","article-title":"Application of essential oils as antimicrobial agents against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in meat products","volume":"337","author":"Pateiro","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Food Microbiol"},{"key":"R18-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1717","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules23071717","article-title":"Essential oils as feed additives\u2014Future perspectives","volume":"23","author":"Stevanovi\u0107","year":"2018","journal-title":"Molecules"},{"key":"R19-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2041","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9102041","article-title":"Towards advances in medicinal plant antimicrobial activity: A review study on challenges and future perspectives","volume":"9","author":"Vaou","year":"2021","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"R20-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfoodeng.2017.01.007","article-title":"Resistance of Byssochlamys nivea and Neosartorya fischeri mould spores of different age to high pressure thermal processing and thermosonication","volume":"201","author":"Evelyn","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Food Eng"},{"key":"R21-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1080\/10408398.2020.1722060","article-title":"Plant extracts rich in polyphenols: Antibacterial agents and natural preservatives for meat and meat products","volume":"61","author":"Efenberger-Szmechtyk","year":"2021","journal-title":"Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr"},{"key":"R22-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1129","DOI":"10.30848\/PJB2019-3(30)","article-title":"Functional, antioxidant, antimicrobial potential and food safety applications of curcuma longa and cuminum cyminum","volume":"51","author":"Akbar","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pak J Bot"},{"key":"R23-20260730","first-page":"68","article-title":"Turmeric: Evaluation in terms of health and nutrition","volume":"44","author":"Akbay","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Nutr Diet"},{"key":"R24-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1111","DOI":"10.1002\/ejlt.200800170","article-title":"Antioxidant activity and free radical-scavenging capacity of ethanolic extracts of thyme, oregano, and marjoram","volume":"111","author":"Amarowicz","year":"2009","journal-title":"Eur J Lipid Sci Technol"},{"key":"R25-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2907","DOI":"10.1007\/s13204-019-01059-5","article-title":"Phytochemical investigation and phytosynthesis of eco-friendly stable bioactive gold and silver nanoparticles using petal extract of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). and study of their antimicrobial activities","volume":"10","author":"Azizian-Shermeh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Appl Nanosci"},{"key":"R26-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100076","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afres.2022.100076","article-title":"Bioactive constituents of saffron plant: Extraction, encapsulation and their food and pharmaceutical applications","volume":"2","author":"Bakshi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Appl Food Res"},{"key":"R27-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109356","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodcont.2022.109356","article-title":"Antimicrobial action of oregano, thyme, clove, cinnamon and black pepper essential oils free and encapsulated against foodborne pathogens","volume":"144","author":"de Almeida","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Control"},{"key":"R28-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2104","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14102104","article-title":"A focused insight into thyme: Biological, chemical, and therapeutic properties of an indigenous mediterranean herb","volume":"14","author":"Hammoudi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"R29-20260730","first-page":"720","article-title":"Antioxidant activities of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin","volume":"98","author":"Jayaprakasha","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Agric Food Chem"},{"key":"R30-20260730","first-page":"125","article-title":"Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of some species of Lamiaceae family from Iran","volume":"6","author":"Mehrnia","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Med Plants By-Prod"},{"key":"R31-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1822","DOI":"10.1007\/s11694-020-00429-w","article-title":"Optimization of experimental parameters in subcritical water extraction of bioactive constituents from the saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corm based on response surface methodology","volume":"14","author":"Esmaeelian","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Food Meas Charact"},{"key":"R32-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2016.09.203","article-title":"Essential oil composition, total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of Thymus species collected from different regions of Iran","volume":"220","author":"Tohidi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Food Chem"},{"key":"R33-20260730","first-page":"49","article-title":"Microbiological quality of commercial enteral feedings used in two public hospitals in Shiraz, Iran","volume":"2","author":"Moazen","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Health Sci Surveill Sys"},{"key":"R34-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sjbs.2017.02.004","article-title":"Antimicrobial activity of some plant extracts against bacterial strains causing food poisoning diseases","volume":"25","author":"Mostafa","year":"2018","journal-title":"Saudi J Biol Sci"},{"key":"R35-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"703","DOI":"10.3390\/foods10040703","article-title":"Antimicrobial activity and chemical characterization of a non-polar extract of saffron stamens in food matrix","volume":"10","author":"Zara","year":"2021","journal-title":"Foods"},{"key":"R36-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126481","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2023.126481","article-title":"Investigating the effects of chitosan\/tragacanth gum\/polyvinyl alcohol composite coating incorporated with cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsion on safety and quality features of chicken breast fillets during storage in the refrigerator","volume":"253","author":"Azadi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Biol Macromol"},{"key":"R37-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108358","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodcont.2021.108358","article-title":"Effect of corm age on the antioxidant, bactericidal and fungicidal activities of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). stigmas","volume":"130","author":"Razavi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Control"},{"key":"R38-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103283","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fm.2019.103283","article-title":"Use of indicator bacteria for monitoring sanitary quality of raw milk cheeses-A literature review","volume":"85","author":"Metz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Food Microbiol"},{"key":"R39-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2249","DOI":"10.3390\/su12062249","article-title":"Microbial indicators and their use for monitoring drinking water quality\u2014A review","volume":"12","author":"Wen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sustainability"},{"key":"R40-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1007\/s42770-019-00168-1","article-title":"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in food and the prevalence in Brazil: A review","volume":"51","author":"da Silva","year":"2020","journal-title":"Braz J Microbiol"},{"key":"R41-20260730","first-page":"1","article-title":"Antibacterial effect of methanolic extract of saffron petal (Crocus sativus L.). on some standard gram positive and gram negative pathogenic bacteria in vitro","volume":"3","author":"Jafari-sales","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr Perspect Med Aroma Plant (CUPMAP)"},{"key":"R42-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e36492","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000036492","article-title":"Analysis of the antibacterial effects of turmeric on particular bacteria","volume":"102","author":"Odo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Medicine"},{"key":"R43-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100861","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nmni.2021.100861","article-title":"The synergistic effect of turmeric aqueous extract and chitosan against multidrug-resistant bacteria","volume":"41","author":"Etemadi","year":"2021","journal-title":"New Microbes New Infect"},{"key":"R44-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1639","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2018.01639","article-title":"Antimicrobial properties and mechanism of action of some plant extracts against food pathogens and spoilage microorganisms","volume":"9","author":"Gonelimali","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front Microbiol"},{"key":"R45-20260730","first-page":"1","article-title":"Antioxidant properties of popular turmeric (Curcuma longa) varieties from Bangladesh","author":"Tanvir","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Food Qual 2017"},{"key":"R46-20260730","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1016\/j.colsurfb.2018.07.059","article-title":"Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using turmeric extracts and investigation of their antibacterial activities","volume":"171","author":"Alsammarraie","year":"2018","journal-title":"Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces"},{"key":"R47-20260730","first-page":"37","article-title":"The effect of aqueous extract of saffron (Crocus sativus L. Stigma) on the behavior of salmonella typhimurium in a food model during storage at different temperatures","volume":"7","author":"Valizadeh","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Nutr Food Sec"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Preventive Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/ijpvm.ijpvm_233_24","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T19:00:42Z","timestamp":1785438042000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/ijpvm.ijpvm_233_24"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]},"references-count":47,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/ijpvm.ijpvm_233_24","relation":{},"ISSN":["2008-7802","2008-8213"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2008-7802","type":"print"},{"value":"2008-8213","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2024-08-10","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-01-18","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}