Title : Antimicrobial strategies for microbial stability and food safety in industrial applications
Abstract:
The use and misuse of antibiotics has been associated to an increase and spread of resistant microorganisms. To date, fighting antimicrobial resistance has become a global public health and economic challenge not only in the medical and veterinary fields but also in the food industry, given that it compromises the quality and safety of the food supply chain.
This study shows a double approach focused on the evaluation of alternatives to conventional antimicrobial strategies also usable in the food industry to promote microbial stability and safety in foods. On one hand studies concerning the identification of novel compounds, mostly of natural origin, are reported. The oil obtained from natural pistachios showed an inhibitory effect against Listeria monocytogenes (MIC values between 0.25 and 2.0 mg/mL), one of the most serious pathogens causing foodborne disease. Essential oil from Origanum vulgare (MIC values between 0.31 and 5 μL/mL) Cladanthus arabicus (MIC values between 200 and 800 μg/mL), Bubonium imbricatum (MIC values between 400 and 1600 μg/mL) and Mentha species ( MIC value between 0.625 and 2.5 μg/mL) and extracts from Rhus coriaria L. (MIC value between 4.68 and 9.37 μg/mL), both alone and in combination with conventional antibiotics, were active against multidrug?resistant Enterobacteriaceae microorganisms, isolated from poultry.
On the other hand, the effectiveness of selected probiotic bacteria as positive tools for the control of pathogenic microorganisms is shown.?Following the engineering of Lact. Johnsonii FI9785 for the expression and delivery of a novel endolysin, we demonstrated that the production of the bacteriophage endolysin by the commensal bacteria, under conditions designed to simulate the gastrointestinal tract, improved the probiotic potential as a biocontrol tool. This study, investigating the mechanism of competitive exclusion, assessed the efficacy of the endolysin as a novel antimicrobial for the biocontrol of Cl. perfringens in the gut environment.
Audience Take Away:
- A broad and comprehensive education on the problem of antibiotic resistance is a cornerstone of the WHO Global Action Plan on Antibacterial Resistance, as it is present in most national action plans.
- The abuse and misuse of antibiotics is a global problem that has implications not only for the economy but also for health. Therefore, the knowledge of novel strategies and innovative applications focused on decreasing the use of antibiotics in the food sector is also an important goal.
- This research can be used when the problem of antibiotic resistance is being addressed not by trying to find new and more effective molecules, but by reducing the use of antibiotics through the widespread use of natural compounds in both the human health and livestock settings. In addition, another important positive element could be the use of these natural substances in packaging to counter antibiotic-resistant microorganisms of food interest.
