Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis has emerged in recent years as one of the most important opportunistic pathogens owing to its ability to attach to processing surfaces in the food industry. Demands of foodstuffs maintaining microbiological safety and stability enhance the need to develop natural antimicrobial agents as food preservatives. Proanthocyanidins from Chinese bayberry leaves (BLPs) belonging to the class of polyphenols promise to be a potential antibacterial material against bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of BLPs on S. epidermidis growth and biofilm formation. BLPs possessed antimicrobial activity with MIC and MBC of 320 and 640 Îźg/ml, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and flow cytometry analysis revealed a loss of the cell structure and function after treatment of BLPs, evidenced by cell membrane hyperpolarization and changes in cellular morphology. BLPs inhibited the biofilm formation by S. epidermidis on polystyrene microplates. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed that BLPs could decrease the stiffness and adhesion force of the cell envelope, which might account for the inhibition of biofilm formation. In summary, this study indicated that BLPs have potential to be developed as natural preservatives to control S. epidermidis in foods.
Highlights
There has been a growing public concern on food safety due to an increasing occurrence of foodborne illness outbreaks caused by pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms (Tajkarimi, Ibrahim, & Cliver, 2010)
The current study investigated the ability of BLPs on inhibiting bacterial growth and biofilm formation by S. epidermidis, which was isolated from a milk powder processing factory
The present study describes antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities and mechanisms of BLPs against S. epidermidis
Summary
There has been a growing public concern on food safety due to an increasing occurrence of foodborne illness outbreaks caused by pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms (Tajkarimi, Ibrahim, & Cliver, 2010). Since enterotoxigenic S. epidermidis strains were isolated from foodstuffs and ready-to-eat meat products, it highlighted the need for studies on the involvement of the biofilm formation by S. epidermidis under food-related conditions (Rall et al, 2010). Chemical additives are commonly used in food products to inhibit microbial growth. Natural antimicrobial compounds are receiving a good deal of attention for the safety of food products, including extracts of some spices, herbs, and other plants (Tajkarimi et al, 2010)
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