Anti-Salmonella mode of action of natural l-phenyl lactic acid purified from Lactobacillus plantarum ZJ316

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2020-06, Vol.104 (12), p.5283-5292
• Main Authors: Zhou, Qingqing, Gu, Rongcheng, Li, Ping, Lu, Yanbin, Chen, Lin, Gu, Qing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; ATP; Binding; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnological Products and Process Engineering; Biotechnology; Cell Membrane - drug effects; Cell membranes; Cell morphology; Chromatography; Cytology; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Destruction; DNA; DNA, Bacterial - metabolism; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Electron microscopy; Foodborne pathogens; Gastroenteritis; Genome, Bacterial; Genomics; High performance liquid chromatography; Lactates - isolation & purification; Lactates - pharmacology; Lactic acid; Lactobacilli; Lactobacillus plantarum; Lactobacillus plantarum - chemistry; Lactobacillus plantarum - genetics; Life Sciences; Liquid chromatography; Membrane Potentials - drug effects; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbiology; Microscopy; Mode of action; Morphology; Nucleic acids; Protonmotive force; Salmonella; Salmonella - classification; Salmonella - drug effects; Salmonella food poisoning; Scanning electron microscopy; Solid phases; Transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10503-4

Salmonella is a serious foodborne pathogen responsible for more than 90 million cases of gastroenteritis worldwide annually. Due to the gradual increase in antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains, the identification of natural antibacterial substances is urgently needed. Herein, we purified natural l -phenyl lactic acid (L-PLA) from Lactobacillus plantarum ZJ316 and revealed its antimicrobial mode against Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ATCC 14028. L-PLA (98.14% pure) was obtained using the macroporous resin XAD-16, solid-phase extraction (SPE), reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and chiral chromatography. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that the cell morphology was severely compromised. Transmembrane electrical potential (ΔΨ), transmembrane pH gradient (ΔpH), intracellular ATP level, extracellular electrical conductivity (EC), and genomic DNA analyses were employed to evaluate the antibacterial mode of action of L-PLA. The proton motive force (PMF) and ATP of Salmonella cells rapidly dissipated, and the EC markedly increased. The gel retardation assay demonstrated that L-PLA could bind to genomic DNA and intercalate into the nucleic acids. The anti- Salmonella mode of action of L-PLA was attributed to the destruction of the cell membrane and genomic DNA binding. This research suggests that L-PLA has potential applications as an antimicrobial agent in food, medicine, and other fields. Key Points • Natural L-PLA was purified from L. plantarum ZJ316 with a purity of 98.14%. • L-PLA effectively inhibited Salmonella strains by antibacterial activities and MICs. • Membrane destruction and binding with DNA are the anti-Salmonella modes of L-PLA.