Growth inhibition of bacteria by salsa mexicana

Antimicrobial activity of salsa mexicana against Escherichia coli,,Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied. The pressed salsa juice suppressed completely the growth of E. coli, B. subtilis, and S. aureus. K. pneumoniae and B. cereus were suppressed partly but Saccharomyces cerevisiae was not suppressed at all by the juice. Three types of microbicidal or microbiostatic components have been found: (1) H+, (2) volatile compounds, and (3) non-ionized carboxylic acids or analogous compounds. It is proposed that the supplementation of stink bugs in the salsa seen widely in the south of Mexico is used to intensify the herbal odor of the salsa.