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Antimicrobial Activity of Phenyllactic Acid Against Enterococcus faecalis and Its Effect on Cell Membrane

Fengting Wang1, Haihong Wu1, Panpan Jin1

  • 11 Institute of Agro-Product Processing , Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China .

Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
|September 19, 2018
PubMed

Insights

3-Phenyllactic acid (PLA) effectively inactivates foodborne Enterococcus faecalis by damaging its cell membrane. This antimicrobial agent causes essential component leakage, leading to bacterial cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Food Safety
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • 3-Phenyllactic acid (PLA) is recognized for its antimicrobial properties.
  • Foodborne pathogens like Enterococcus faecalis pose significant health risks.
  • Understanding PLA's mechanism against E. faecalis is crucial for food safety applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of 3-Phenyllactic acid (PLA) against foodborne Enterococcus faecalis.
  • To investigate the impact of PLA on the cell membrane integrity of E. faecalis.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of PLA-induced bacterial inactivation.

Main Methods:

  • Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination of PLA against E. faecalis.
  • Time-kill assays to assess PLA's inactivation kinetics.
  • Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for ultrastructural analysis.
  • Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to analyze cell membrane composition changes.
  • Cell membrane permeability assays.
  • Flow cytometry for quantitative analysis of cell damage.

Main Results:

  • PLA demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis, with a minimum concentration of 5 mg/mL for inactivation in broth.
  • PLA treatments of 5 and 10 mg/mL inactivated ≥6 log CFU/mL of E. faecalis within 60 and 30 minutes, respectively.
  • Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses revealed substantial damage to the E. faecalis cell membrane, including alterations in protein, fatty acid, and polysaccharide components.
  • Increased cell membrane permeability was observed with higher PLA concentrations.
  • Flow cytometry confirmed widespread bacterial cell damage upon treatment with 10 mg/mL PLA for 30 minutes.

Conclusions:

  • 3-Phenyllactic acid (PLA) is a potent antimicrobial agent effective against foodborne Enterococcus faecalis.
  • PLA exerts its bactericidal effect by compromising the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane, leading to the leakage of intracellular components.
  • These findings support the potential application of PLA as a natural preservative in the food industry to control E. faecalis contamination.
Keywords:
Enterococciantibacterial activitymembrane damageorganic acid

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