Efficacies of Nisin A and Nisin V Semipurified Preparations Alone and in Combination with Plant Essential Oils for Controlling Listeria Monocytogenes

Overview

Journal Appl Environ Microbiol

Specialties Environmental Health
Microbiology

Date 2015 Feb 10

PMID 25662980

Citations 15

Authors

Des Field

Karen Daly

Paula M OConnor

Paul D Cotter

Colin Hill

R Paul Ross

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The food-borne pathogenic bacterium Listeria is known for relatively low morbidity and high mortality rates, reaching up to 25 to 30%. Listeria is a hardy organism, and its control in foods represents a significant challenge. Many naturally occurring compounds, including the bacteriocin nisin and a number of plant essential oils, have been widely studied and are reported to be effective as antimicrobial agents against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of semipurified preparations (SPP) containing either nisin A or an enhanced bioengineered derivative, nisin V, alone and in combination with low concentrations of the essential oils thymol, carvacrol, and trans-cinnamaldehyde, to control Listeria monocytogenes in both laboratory media and model food systems. Combinations of nisin V-containing SPP (25 μg/ml) with thymol (0.02%), carvacrol (0.02%), or cinnamaldehyde (0.02%) produced a significantly longer lag phase than any of the essential oil-nisin A combinations. In addition, the log reduction in cell counts achieved by the nisin V-carvacrol or nisin V-cinnamaldehyde combinations was twice that of the equivalent nisin A-essential oil treatment. Significantly, this enhanced activity was validated in model food systems against L. monocytogenes strains of food origin. We conclude that the fermentate form of nisin V in combination with carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde offers significant advantages as a novel, natural, and effective means to enhance food safety by inhibiting food-borne pathogens such as L. monocytogenes.

Citing Articles

Integrating Bacteriocins and Biofilm-Degrading Enzymes to Eliminate Persistence.

Renye Jr J, Chen C, Miller A, Lee J, Oest A, Lynn K Int J Mol Sci. 2025; 26(1.

PMID: 39796259 PMC: 11721940. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26010399.

Essential Oils and Their Combination with Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bacteriocins to Improve the Safety and Shelf Life of Foods: A Review.

Bukvicki D, DAlessandro M, Rossi S, Siroli L, Gottardi D, Braschi G Foods. 2023; 12(17).

PMID: 37685221 PMC: 10486891. DOI: 10.3390/foods12173288.

Carvacrol Selective Pressure Allows the Occurrence of Genetic Resistant Variants of EGD-e.

Berdejo D, Gayan E, Pagan E, Merino N, Campillo R, Pagan R Foods. 2023; 11(20).

PMID: 37431028 PMC: 9602272. DOI: 10.3390/foods11203282.

The Complex Role of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Food Detoxification.

Petrova P, Arsov A, Tsvetanova F, Parvanova-Mancheva T, Vasileva E, Tsigoriyna L Nutrients. 2022; 14(10).

PMID: 35631179 PMC: 9147554. DOI: 10.3390/nu14102038.

Bacteriocin-Based Synergetic Consortia: a Promising Strategy to Enhance Antimicrobial Activity and Broaden the Spectrum of Inhibition.

Soltani S, Biron E, Ben Said L, Subirade M, Fliss I Microbiol Spectr. 2022; 10(1):e0040621.

PMID: 35170996 PMC: 8849083. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00406-21.

References

Edris A . Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review. Phytother Res. 2007; 21(4):308-23. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2072. View

Ettayebi K, El Yamani J . Synergistic effects of nisin and thymol on antimicrobial activities in Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus subtilis. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2000; 183(1):191-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb08956.x. View

Field D, Quigley L, OConnor P, Rea M, Daly K, Cotter P . Studies with bioengineered Nisin peptides highlight the broad-spectrum potency of Nisin V. Microb Biotechnol. 2011; 3(4):473-86. PMC: 3815813. DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-7915.2010.00184.x. View

Yuan J, Zhang Z, Chen X, Yang W, Huan L . Site-directed mutagenesis of the hinge region of nisinZ and properties of nisinZ mutants. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2004; 64(6):806-15. DOI: 10.1007/s00253-004-1599-1. View

Galvez A, Abriouel H, Benomar N, Lucas R . Microbial antagonists to food-borne pathogens and biocontrol. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2010; 21(2):142-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2010.01.005. View

Periago P, Moezelaar R . Combined effect of nisin and carvacrol at different pH and temperature levels on the viability of different strains of Bacillus cereus. Int J Food Microbiol. 2001; 68(1-2):141-8. DOI: 10.1016/s0168-1605(01)00461-5. View

Field D, O Connor P, Cotter P, Hill C, Ross R . The generation of nisin variants with enhanced activity against specific gram-positive pathogens. Mol Microbiol. 2008; 69(1):218-30. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2008.06279.x. View

Valero M, Frances E . Synergistic bactericidal effect of carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde or thymol and refrigeration to inhibit Bacillus cereus in carrot broth. Food Microbiol. 2006; 23(1):68-73. DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2005.01.016. View

Gutierrez J, Barry-Ryan C, Bourke P . The antimicrobial efficacy of plant essential oil combinations and interactions with food ingredients. Int J Food Microbiol. 2008; 124(1):91-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2008.02.028. View

10.

Conner D, Brackett R, Beuchat L . Effect of temperature, sodium chloride, and pH on growth of Listeria monocytogenes in cabbage juice. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986; 52(1):59-63. PMC: 203392. DOI: 10.1128/aem.52.1.59-63.1986. View

11.

Schlech 3rd W . Foodborne listeriosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2000; 31(3):770-5. DOI: 10.1086/314008. View

12.

Burt S . Essential oils: their antibacterial properties and potential applications in foods--a review. Int J Food Microbiol. 2004; 94(3):223-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2004.03.022. View

13.

Vignolo G, Palacios J, Farias M, Sesma F, Schillinger U, Holzapfel W . Combined effect of bacteriocins on the survival of various Listeria species in broth and meat system. Curr Microbiol. 2000; 41(6):410-6. DOI: 10.1007/s002840010159. View

14.

Cotter P, Hill C, Ross R . Bacteriocins: developing innate immunity for food. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2005; 3(10):777-88. DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro1273. View

15.

Bierbaum G, Sahl H . Lantibiotics: mode of action, biosynthesis and bioengineering. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2009; 10(1):2-18. DOI: 10.2174/138920109787048616. View

16.

Baskaran S, Amalaradjou M, Hoagland T, Venkitanarayanan K . Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple juice and apple cider by trans-cinnamaldehyde. Int J Food Microbiol. 2010; 141(1-2):126-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.04.002. View

17.

Gill A, Holley R . Mechanisms of bactericidal action of cinnamaldehyde against Listeria monocytogenes and of eugenol against L. monocytogenes and Lactobacillus sakei. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004; 70(10):5750-5. PMC: 522076. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.10.5750-5755.2004. View

18.

Hyldgaard M, Mygind T, Meyer R . Essential oils in food preservation: mode of action, synergies, and interactions with food matrix components. Front Microbiol. 2012; 3:12. PMC: 3265747. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00012. View

19.

Tiwari B, Valdramidis V, ODonnell C, Muthukumarappan K, Bourke P, Cullen P . Application of natural antimicrobials for food preservation. J Agric Food Chem. 2009; 57(14):5987-6000. DOI: 10.1021/jf900668n. View

20.

Lucera A, Costa C, Conte A, Del Nobile M . Food applications of natural antimicrobial compounds. Front Microbiol. 2012; 3:287. PMC: 3441195. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00287. View