**Mechanism of Action against Food Spoilage Yeasts and Bioactivity of** *Tasmannia lanceolata***,** *Backhousia citriodora* **and** *Syzygium anisatum* **Plant Solvent Extracts**

#### **Fahad Alderees 1, Ram Mereddy 2, Dennis Webber 2, Nilesh Nirmal 1 and Yasmina Sultanbawa 1,\***


Received: 22 September 2018; Accepted: 25 October 2018; Published: 29 October 2018

**Abstract:** Bioactive properties of solvent extracts of *Tasmannia lanceolata*, *Backhousia citriodora* and *Syzygium anisatum* investigated. The antimicrobial activities evaluated using agar disc diffusion method against two bacteria (*Escherichia coli* and *Staphylococcus aureus*) and six weak-acid resistant yeasts (*Candida albicans*, *Candida krusei*, *Dekkera anomala*, *Rhodotorula mucilaginosa*, *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* and *Schizosaccharomyces pombe*). The antioxidant activities determined using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging and reducing power assays. Quantification of major active compounds using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Extracts showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity against weak-acid resistant yeasts in comparison to the standard antifungal agents, fluconazole and amphotericin B. *Dekkera anomala* being the most sensitive and strongly inhibited by all extracts, while *Escherichia coli* the least sensitive. Polygodial, citral and anethole are the major bioactive compounds identified in *Tasmannia lanceolata*, *Backhousia citriodora* and *Syzygium anisatum*, respectively. Hexane extracts contain the highest amount of bioactive compounds and demonstrate the strongest antimicrobial activities. Methanol and ethanol extracts reveal the highest phenolic content and antioxidant properties. Fluorescence microscopic results indicate the mechanism of action of *Backhousia citriodora* against yeas<sup>t</sup> is due to damage of the yeas<sup>t</sup> cell membrane through penetration causing swelling and lysis leading to cell death.

**Keywords:** natural antimicrobial; antioxidant; mechanism of action; citral; polygodial; anethole
