Abstract
ε-Polylysine (ε-PL) is a safe food additive that is used in the food industry globally. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of antibacterial peptides (ε-PL) against food poisoning pathogens detected in chicken (Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli). The results showed that minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranged between 0.031–1.0 mg/mL, although most bacterial groups (75%) showed MICs of 1.0 mg/mL. The reduction in the cell viability of pathogens due to ε-PL depended on the time and concentration, and 1/2 × MIC of ε-PL killed 99.99% of pathogens after 10 h of incubation. To confirm biofilm inhibition and degradation effects, crystal violet assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used. The biofilm formation rates of four bacterial groups (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and multi-species bacteria) were 10.36%, 9.10%, 17.44%, and 21.37% at 1/2 × MIC of ε-PL, respectively. Additionally, when observed under a CLSM, ε-PL was found to induce biofilm destruction and bacterial cytotoxicity. These results demonstrated that ε-PL has the potential to be used as an antibiotic and antibiofilm material for chicken meat processing.
Highlights
Foodborne diseases commonly occur due to food being contaminated by bacteria, bacterial toxins, viruses, parasites, chemicals, and other agents
The antimicrobial effect of ε-PL was estimated by investigating the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against the chosen foodborne pathogens (Table 1)
This study demonstrated that ε-PL has antibacterial and antibiofilm effects against food poisoning pathogens detected in chicken, such as S
Summary
Foodborne diseases commonly occur due to food being contaminated by bacteria, bacterial toxins, viruses, parasites, chemicals, and other agents. Researchers have identified more than 250 foodborne diseases [1]. Common symptoms of foodborne diseases include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Severe symptoms can even lead to death. One in ten people in the world, (approximately 600 million) get food poisoning through contaminated food, and 420,000 people die as a result each year, resulting in 33 million years of disability-adjusted life years. The combined productive and medical costs due to contaminated food in low- and middle-income countries is USD110 billion annually. Food contamination can occur at every stage of the food processing chain, including food production, packaging, and storage [2]. Salmonella, Campylobacter, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Listeria, and Vibrio cholerae are among the most common foodborne pathogens [3]
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