Abstract
Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a major foodborne pathogen that causes severe human infections. Plant extracts, glycine, and sodium acetate (NaOAc) exert antimicrobial effects that can be used to control pathogenic E. coli. However, their combinations have not been investigated. Thus, this study investigates the combination of ethanolic plant extracts with glycine and NaOAc against E. coli at various pH and temperature levels. Clove and rosemary extracts exhibited significant (p ≤ 0.05) antimicrobial activity against E. coli. At neutral pH, the combination of plant extracts with 1.0% glycine or 0.1% NaOAc reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration of clove from 0.4% to 0.2%; at pH 5.5, clove (0.1%) and rosemary (0.2%) extracts supplemented with NaOAc (0.1%) showed an additive effect. The population of E. coli O157:H7 in phosphate-buffered saline with 0.2% clove extract, 2% glycine, and 2% NaOAc showed a more than 5 log reduction after incubation at 15 °C for 96 h, while the combination of 0.1% clove extract with 2% NaOAc at pH 5.5 completely inhibited E. coli within 24 h at 35 °C. Thus, the combination of plant extracts with glycine and NaOAc could serve as a promising hurdle technology in controlling the growth of E. coli.
Highlights
Outbreaks associated with E. coli O157:H7 have been commonly traced to food products including beef, leafy greens, and salads [1]
This study investigates the potential hurdle-technology application of plant extracts with glycine and NaOAc at different pH
The activity of various antimicrobial agents against E. coli at varying concentrations demonstrated their potential application in hurdle technology
Summary
Plant extracts have been seen potential use as a direct food antimicrobial, and they may improve food product quality. Some studies reported that E. coli was resistant to spice and herb extracts [4,5]. In this regard, using plant extract to control E. coli might be used at high concentrations, which can negatively affect the sensory quality of food products. To address these challenges, hurdle technology is recommended in order to control this microorganism while maintaining the quality characteristics of food products. Hurdle technology refers to the use of combined methods that can additively or synergistically inactivate microbes, thereby resulting in safe, stable, and tasty foods [6]
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