Inhibitory effects of Flavourzyme on biofilm formation, quorum sensing, and virulence genes of foodborne pathogens Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli.
Food Res Int 2021;
147:110461. [PMID:
34399461 DOI:
10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110461]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica and Shiga toxin-producing (or verotoxin-producing) Escherichia coli are major foodborne pathogens, posing substantial food safety risks. Due to the negative effects of chemical treatment against foodborne pathogens, the application of enzyme-based techniques is currently receiving great attention. Here, we evaluated the inhibitory properties of Flavourzyme, a commercial peptidase, against these two foodborne pathogens. We noticed 4.0 and 5.5 log inhibition of biofilm formation by S. Typhimurium and E. coli, respectively, while treated with sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations of Flavourzyme for 24 h. For both bacteria, the enzyme exhibited quorum-quenching activity, preventing autoinducer-2 production completely by E. coli. In addition, Flavourzyme significantly suppressed the relative expression levels of biofilm-forming, quorum sensing, and virulence regulatory genes as measured by qRT-PCR. Based on our results, we suggest the use of Flavourzyme as a preventive agent against foodborne pathogens that possibly acts by inhibiting bacterial self-defense mechanisms following disruption of cellular proteins. This finding may shed light on how enzymes can be applied as a novel weapon to control foodborne illnesses to ensure food safety and public health.
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