scholarly journals Advanced Killing Potential of Thymol against a Time and Temperature Optimized Attached Listeria monocytogenes Population in Lettuce Broth

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Dimitra Kostoglou ◽  
Parthena Tsaklidou ◽  
Ioannis Iliadis ◽  
Nikoletta Garoufallidou ◽  
Georgia Skarmoutsou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Benzalkonium Chloride ◽  
Planktonic Cells ◽  
Antimicrobial Efficiency ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Viable Bacteria ◽  
Steel Surfaces ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Killing Action ◽  
Foodborne Infections

Fresh vegetables and salads are increasingly implicated in outbreaks of foodborne infections, such as those caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous pathogen that can attach to the surfaces of the equipment creating robust biofilms withstanding the killing action of disinfectants. In this study, the antimicrobial efficiency of a natural plant terpenoid (thymol) was evaluated against a sessile population of a multi-strain L. monocytogenes cocktail developed on stainless steel surfaces incubated in lettuce broth, under optimized time and temperature conditions (54 h at 30.6 °C) as those were determined following response surface modeling, and in comparison, to that of an industrial disinfectant (benzalkonium chloride). Prior to disinfection, the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of each compound were determined against the planktonic cells of each strain. The results revealed the advanced killing potential of thymol, with a concentration of 625 ppm (= 4 × MBC) leading to almost undetectable viable bacteria (more than 4 logs reduction following a 15-min exposure). For the same degree of killing, benzalkonium chloride needed to be used at a concentration of at least 20 times more than its MBC (70 ppm). Discriminative repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) also highlighted the strain variability in both biofilm formation and resistance. In sum, thymol was found to present an effective anti-listeria action under environmental conditions mimicking those encountered in the salad industry and deserves to be further explored to improve the safety of fresh produce.

Incidence and Susceptibility to Antimicrobial Agents of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes Isolated from Poultry Carcasses in Porto, Portugal

2002 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 1888-1893 ◽  
Author(s):  
PATRÍCIA ANTUNES ◽  
CRISTINA RÉU ◽  
JOÃO CARLOS SOUSA ◽  
NAZARÉ PESTANA ◽  
LUÍSA PEIXE
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Polymerase Chain Reaction Method ◽  
Poultry Products ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Biochemical Identification ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
The City ◽  
Butcher Shops ◽  
Foodborne Infections

The occurrence of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in 63 samples of Portuguese poultry carcasses obtained from two local butcher shops and one canteen in the city of Porto, Portugal, and the susceptibility of these bacteria to antimicrobial agents allowed for use in human or animal therapeutics were evaluated. All poultry samples were contaminated with Listeria spp., and L. monocytogenes was isolated from 41% (26 of 63) of the samples. Other Listeria species, including L. innocua, L. welshimeri, and L. seeligeri, were also isolated from poultry samples. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction method was used for the identification of all of the Listeria isolates; this method showed total conformity with the conventional method of biochemical identification and proved to be more reliable, faster, and less arduous. In addition, high percentages of Listeria spp. (84%) and L. monocytogenes (73%) isolates were found to be resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents of different groups, and 12 different resistance profiles were recorded. The frequency of the resistance of L. monocytogenes isolates to enrofloxacin and clindamycin is notable. The results of this study suggest a high incidence of L. monocytogenes on Portuguese poultry products available for consumers and indicate that poultry could be a potential vehicle of foodborne infections due to strains of L. monocytogenes that are resistant to antimicrobial agents.

Susceptibility of Starved Planktonic and Biofilm Listeria monocytogenes to Quaternary Ammonium Sanitizer as Determined by Direct Viable and Agar Plate Counts

1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 573-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
TYH-JENQ REN ◽  
JOSEPH F. FRANK
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Quaternary Ammonium ◽  
Phosphate Buffer ◽  
Benzalkonium Chloride ◽  
Agar Plate ◽  
Viable Count ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Planktonic Cells ◽  
Plate Counts ◽  
Cleaning Procedures

Effective food plant cleaning procedures remove microbial nutrients from surfaces, which could result in contaminating bacteria being subject to a starvation microenvironment. This research investigated the effect of starvation on the susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes to benzalkonium chloride (BAC). Cells were starved in phosphate buffer at 21°C for 4 d. Biofilm and planktonic listeriae reacted differently to starvation. When cells were grown in tryptic soy broth (TSB), starvation reduced the susceptibility of planktonic cells to BAC by 2.3- to 4.7-fold but had no effect on the susceptibility of biofilm cells. Planktonic cells grown in diluted TSB were 390 times more resistant than normal TSB-grown cells, but when these cells were starved, they lost their increased resistance. This phenomenon was not observed with biofilm cells. Increased resistance of listeriae grown in diluted TSB was associated with dilution of the salt/buffer components of the medium. Sanitizer-treated cells were enumerated by using tryptic soy agar-yeast extract pour plates and by a direct viable count method. Results indicate that some cells exposed to BAC were not detected by the plate count procedure but were still viable.

Surface-adherent Growth of Listeria monocytogenes is Associated with Increased Resistance to Surfactant Sanitizers and Heat

1990 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 550-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSEPH F. FRANK ◽  
ROSE A. KOFFI
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Nutrient Medium ◽  
Benzalkonium Chloride ◽  
Specific Growth ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Adherent Cells ◽  
Planktonic Cells ◽  
Glass Slides ◽  
Excess Glucose ◽  
Adherent Growth

Surface-adherent microcolonies of Listeria monocytogenes were obtained by growing cells on glass slides immersed in a low nutrient medium containing excess glucose. The susceptibility of the adherent populations to benzalkonium chloride (100, 400, and 800 ppm solutions), anionic acid sanitizer (200 and 400 ppm solutions), and heat (55 and 70°C) was determined. Adherent microcolony cells decreased by 2 to 3 log cycles immediately after exposure to the sanitizers. The remaining population of microcolony cells survived 20 min of exposure demonstrating resistance to both sanitizers at all concentrations. Adherent single cells exhibited an initial 3 to 5 log decline in numbers and reached undetectable levels after 12 to 16 min of exposure to the sanitizers. Planktonic cells were reduced to undetectable levels after 30 sec exposure to the lowest concentration of each sanitizer. Removing adherent cells from the surface increased their sanitizer susceptibility to near that of planktonic cells. Heating adherent microcolonies at 70°C for 5 min resulted in a less than 5-log decrease in population with a surviving population of over 10 cfu/sq cm. These results demonstrate the ability of L. monocytogenes to develop resistance to inactivating agents when exposed to specific growth environments.

scholarly journals Effect of Gaseous Ozone on Listeria monocytogenes Planktonic Cells and Biofilm: An In Vitro Study

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1484
Author(s):  
Felice Panebianco ◽  
Selene Rubiola ◽  
Francesco Chiesa ◽  
Tiziana Civera ◽  
Pierluigi Aldo Di Ciccio
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Planktonic Cells ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Biofilm Inhibition ◽  
Additional Tool ◽  
Complete Inactivation ◽  
Gaseous Ozone ◽  
Food Borne

Among food-borne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes continues to pose concerns to food business operators due to its capacity to form biofilm in processing environments. Ozone may be an eco-friendly technology to control microbial contaminations, but data concerning its effect on Listeria monocytogenes biofilm are still limited. In this study, the effect of gaseous ozone at 50 ppm on planktonic cells and biofilm of reference and food-related Listeria monocytogenes strains was evaluated. Ozone caused a reduction in microbial loads of 3.7 ± 0.4 and 3.9 ± 0.4 Log10 CFU/mL after 10 and 30 min, respectively. A complete inactivation of planktonic cells after 6 h of treatment was observed. Biofilm inhibition and eradication treatments (50 ppm, 6 h) resulted in a significant decrease of the biofilm biomass for 59% of the strains tested, whilst a slight dampening of live cell loads in the biofilm state was observed. In conclusion, gaseous ozone is not sufficient to completely counteract Listeria monocytogenes biofilm, but it may be useful as an additional tool to contrast Listeria monocytogenes free-living cells and to improve the existing sanitization procedures in food processing environments.

Effect of Ozone on the Inactivation of Yersinia enterocolitica and the Reduction of Natural Flora on Potatoes

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (10) ◽  
pp. 2357-2363 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARÍA VICTORIA SELMA ◽  
DAVID BELTRÁN ◽  
ELISEO CHACÓN-VERA ◽  
MARÍA ISABEL GIL
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Yersinia Enterocolitica ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Wash Water ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Pathogenic Microorganisms ◽  
Psychrotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Natural Flora ◽  
Soil Irrigation

Fresh vegetables contaminated with Yersinia enterocolitica have been implicated in foodborne disease outbreaks. Surfaces of vegetables can become contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms through contact with soil, irrigation water, fertilizers, equipment, humans, and animals. One approach to reduce this contamination is to treat fresh produce with sanitizers. In this study, the ability of ozone to inactivate Y. enterocolitica inoculated in water and on potato surfaces was evaluated. Furthermore, the efficacy of ozone in reducing natural flora on whole potato was determined. Total aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, and Listeria monocytogenes were enumerated. Finally, several disinfection kinetic models were considered to predict Y. enterocolitica inactivation with ozone. Treatments with ozone (1.4 and 1.9 ppm) for 1 min decreased the Y. enterocolitica population in water by 4.6 and 6.2 log CFU ml−1, respectively. Furthermore, ozonated water (5 ppm) for 1 min decreased Y. enterocolitica and L. monocytogenes from potato surfaces by 1.6 and 0.8 log CFU g−1, respectively. Therefore, ozone can be an effective treatment for disinfection of wash water and for reduction of potato surface contamination.

Chlorine Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms and Relationship to Subtype, Cell Density, and Planktonic Cell Chlorine Resistance

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1292-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES P. FOLSOM ◽  
JOSEPH F. FRANK
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Cell Density ◽  
Sodium Hypochlorite ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Planktonic Cell ◽  
Planktonic Cells ◽  
Planktonic Culture

Strains of Listeria monocytogenes vary in their ability to produce biofilms. This research determined if cell density, planktonic chlorine resistance, or subtype are associated with the resistance of L. monocytogenes biofilms to chlorine. Thirteen strains of L. monocytogenes were selected for this research based on biofilm accumulation on stainless steel and rep-PCR subtyping. These strains were challenged with chlorine to determine the resistance of individual strains of L. monocytogenes. Planktonic cells were exposed to 20 to 80 ppm sodium hypochlorite in 20 ppm increments for 5 min in triplicate per replication, and the experiment was replicated three times. The number of tubes with surviving L. monocytogenes was recorded for each isolate at each level of chlorine. Biofilms of each strain were grown on stainless steel coupons. The biofilms were exposed 60 ppm of sodium hypochlorite. When in planktonic culture, four strains were able to survive exposure to 40 ppm of chlorine, whereas four strains were able to survive 80 ppm of chlorine in at least one of three tubes. The remaining five strains survived exposure to 60 ppm of chlorine. Biofilms of 11 strains survived exposure to 60 ppm of chlorine. No association of biofilm chlorine resistance and planktonic chlorine resistance was observed; however, biofilm chorine resistance was similar for strains of the same subtype. Biofilm cell density was not associated with chlorine resistance. In addition, biofilms that survived chlorine treatment exhibited different biofilm morphologies. These data suggest that chlorine resistance mechanisms of planktonic cells and biofilms differ, with planktonic chlorine resistance being more affected by inducible traits, and biofilm chlorine resistance being more affected by traits not determined in this study.

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