Abstract
Melittin, a notable antimicrobial peptide (AMP), shows great potential in food preservation due to its robust antimicrobial properties, especially when facing multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. However, developing melittin as a food preservative is limited by its poor cell selectively, necessitating innovative strategies are needed to address the application bottleneck of melittin. Here, we characterize two linear peptide adjuvants (3-WP and 9-RP), which exhibited obvious synergistic effects with melittin against common Gram-positive bacteria. Their synergistic effects potentiated antimicrobial efficacy of melittin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), while reduced the required dose of melittin for antimicrobial activity, which is contributed to improving the cell selectively of melittin. Mechanistically, 3-WP disrupted cell wall membrane permeability, induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and inhibited energy metabolism. The 3-WP/melittin combination exhibited favorable antimicrobial effects in food storage contexts. Our findings highlighted the great potential of 3-WP as a peptide adjuvant of melittin for combating MDR-associated foodborne diseases and developing safe and effective peptide-based bio-preservatives.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call