Antibiofilm efficacy of Leuconostoc mesenteroides J.27-derived postbiotic and food-grade essential oils against Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli alone and in combination, and their application as a green preservative in the seafood industry

• Published in: Food research international 2022-06, Vol.156, p.111163-111163, Article 111163
• Main Authors: Toushik, Sazzad Hossen, Park, Jun-Ha, Kim, Kyeongjun, Ashrafudoulla, Md, Senakpon Isaie Ulrich, Mevo, Mizan, Md. Furkanur Rahman, Roy, Pantu Kumar, Shim, Won-Bo, Kim, Young-Mog, Park, Si Hong, Ha, Sang-Do
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacterial biofilm; Bio-preservative; Foodborne pathogen; Lactic acid bacteria; Seafood safety
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111163

[Display omitted] •Leuconostoc mesenteroides J.27 produced bioactive soluble byproducts as postbiotic.•Postbiotic and EO (eugenol and thymol) exhibited antimicrobial potency.•Postbiotic and EO showed antibiofilm action on squid, rubber, and plastic surfaces.•Combining postbiotic with EO enhanced their bactericidal activity.•Both postbiotic and EO act as green preservative agents in the seafood industry. Foodborne pathogen-mediated biofilms in food processing environments are severe threats to human lives. In the interest of human and environmental safety, natural substances with antimicrobial properties and generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status are the futuristic disinfectants of the food industry. In this study, the efficacy of bioactive, soluble products (metabolic by-products) from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and plant-derived essential oils (EO) were investigated as biocidal agents. The postbiotic produced by kimchi-derived Leuconostoc mesenteroides J.27 isolate was analyzed for its metabolic components to reveal its antimicrobial potential against three pathogenic microorganisms (Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli). Additionally, the efficacy of food-grade EO (eugenol and thymol, respectively) was also assessed in our study. Determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of postbiotic and EO against three tested pathogens revealed that the sub-MIC (0.5 MIC) of postbiotic and EO could efficiently inhibit the biofilm formation on both seafood (squid) and seafood-processing surfaces (rubber and low-density polyethylene plastic). Moreover, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis confirmed that the LAB J.27 isolate possesses bacteriocin- and enzyme-coding genes. The residual antibacterial activity of the produced postbiotic was maintained over a diverse pH range (pH 1–6) but was entirely abolished at neutral or higher pH values. However, the activity was unaffected by exposure to high temperatures (100 and 121 °C) and storage (30 days). Notably, the leakage of intracellular metabolites, damage to DNA, and the down-regulation of biofilm-associated gene expression in the pathogens increased significantly (p > 0.05) following the combination treatment of postbiotic with thymol compared to postbiotic with eugenol. Nonetheless, all in vitro results indicated the prospective use of combining Leu. mesenteroides J.27-derived postbiotic with both EO as a “green preservative” in the seafood industry to inhibit t