Leucocins 4010 fromLeuconostoc carnosumcause a matrix related decrease in intracellular pH ofListeria monocytogenes

Microbiological Safety and Functional Properties of a Fermented Nut-Based Product

Fermented nut-based products, obtained after soaking and fermentation, are gaining increasing interest as animal food substitutes because of ethical, environmental and health reasons. In these products, Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) perform the fermentation, leading to matrix acidification and contributing to controlling spoilage and pathogenic microbiota. In this work, LAB strains isolated from an artisanal product and combined with a commercial strain were added as starter cultures during nut soaking to produce a cheese-like fermented plant-based product. Three different LAB consortia were used in challenge tests at laboratory scale against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli or Salmonella Enteritidis, inoculated in nuts at 5 log CFU/g, and monitored for pathogen survival and matrix acidification. The combination of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 82 and Leuc. carnosum 4010 resulted in faster acidification (pH value < 4.4 after 18 h instead of 48 h) and the reduction of target pathogens; L. monocytogenes was already absent after seven days from production, and the counts of E. coli or S. Enteritidis were lower with respect to other samples. Thus, this microbial consortium was used for a pilot-scale production in which, beyond safety, the fermented plant-based product was also characterized for aroma profile and phenolic compounds, parameters that are known to be affected by LAB fermentation. The results showed an enhancement of the aroma profile, with an accumulation of molecules able to confer cheese-like notes (i.e., acetoin and diacetyl) and higher phenolic content, as well as the presence of compounds (i.e., phenyllactic acid and hydroxyphenyllactic acid) that could exert antimicrobial activity. This study allowed us to set up a guided fermentation for a cheese-like vegan product, guaranteeing safety and improving aromatic and functional features.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae induce alterations in the intracellular pH, membrane permeability and culturability of Hanseniaspora guilliermondii cells

Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) during alcoholic fermentation that are active against several wine-related yeasts (e.g. Hanseniaspora guilliermondii) and bacteria (e.g. Oenococcus oeni). In the present study, the physiological changes induced by those AMPs on sensitive H. guilliermondii cells were evaluated in terms of intracellular pH (pHi), membrane permeability and culturability. Membrane permeability was evaluated by staining cells with propidium iodide (PI), pHi was determined by a fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy (FRIM) technique and culturability by a classical plating method. Results showed that the average pHi of H. guilliermondii cells dropped from 6.5 (healthy cells) to 5.4 (damaged cells) after 20 min of exposure to inhibitory concentrations of AMPs, and after 24 h 77.0% of the cells completely lost their pH gradient (∆pH=pHi-pHext). After 24h of exposure to AMPs, PI-stained (dead) cells increased from 0% to 77.7% and the number of viable cells fell from 1×10(5) to 10 CFU/ml. This means that virtually all cells (99.99%) became unculturable but that a sub-population of 22.3% of the cells remained viable (as determined by PI staining). Besides, pHi results showed that after 24h, 23% of the AMP-treated cells were sub-lethally injured (with 0<∆pH<3). Taken together, these results indicated that this subpopulation was under a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, which was further confirmed by recuperation assays. In summary, our study reveals that these AMPs compromise the plasma membrane integrity (and possibly also the vacuole membrane) of H. guilliermondii cells, disturbing the pHi homeostasis and inducing a loss of culturability.

Listeria monocytogenes varies among strains to maintain intracellular pH homeostasis under stresses by different acids as analyzed by a high-throughput microplate-based fluorometry

Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne pathogen, has the capacity to maintain intracellular pH (pH_i) homeostasis in acidic environments, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report a simple microplate-based fluorescent method to determine pH_i of listerial cells that were prelabeled with the fluorescent dye carboxyfluorescein diacetate N-succinimidyl ester and subjected to acid stress. We found that L. monocytogenes responds differently among strains toward organic and inorganic acids to maintain pH_i homeostasis. The capacity of L. monocytogenes to maintain pH_i at extracellular pH 4.5 (pH_ex) was compromised in the presence of acetic acid and lactic acid, but not by hydrochloric acid and citric acid. Organic acids exhibited more inhibitory effects than hydrochloric acid at certain pH conditions. Furthermore, the virulent stains L. monocytogenes EGDe, 850658 and 10403S was more resistant to acidic stress than the avirulent M7 which showed a defect in maintaining pH_i homeostasis. Deletion of sigB, a stress-responsive alternative sigma factor from 10403S, markedly altered intracellular pH_i homeostasis, and showed a significant growth and survival defect under acidic conditions. Thus, this work provides new insights into bacterial survival mechanism to acidic stresses.

Intracellular pH of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis following exposure to antimicrobial compounds monitored at the single cell level

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiologic agent of Johne's disease; moreover, it seems to be implicated in the development of Crohn's disease in humans. In the present study, fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy (FRIM) was used to assess changes in intracellular pH (pH(i)) of one strain of MAP after exposure to nisin and neutralized cell-free supernatants (NCSs) from five bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with known probiotic properties. The evaluation of pH(i) by FRIM provides information about the physiological state of bacterial cells, bypassing the long and problematic incubations needed for methods relying upon growth of MAP such as determination of colony forming units. The FRIM results showed that both nisin and the cell-free supernatant from Lactobacillus plantarum PCA 236 affected the pH(i) of MAP within a few hours. However, monitoring the population for 24h revealed the presence of a subpopulation of cells probably resistant to the antimicrobial compounds tested. Use of nisin and bacteriocin-producing LAB strains could lead to new intervention strategies for the control of MAP based on in vivo application of probiotic cultures as feed additives at farm level.

The effect of bacteriocin-producing Lactobacillus plantarum strains on the intracellular pH of sessile and planktonic Listeria monocytogenes single cells

A wide range of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce bacteriocins mainly active against other closely related LAB, but some bacteriocins are also active against the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. With the aim of increasing food safety it has thus been considered to utilise bacteriocins and/or bacteriocin-producing LAB as "natural" food preservatives in foods such as cheese, meat and ready-to-eat products. Some strains of Lactobacillus plantarum produce bacteriocins termed plantaricins. Using a single-cell based approach, the effect on the intracellular pH as a measure of the physiological state of sessile and planktonic L. monocytogenes (strains EGDe and N53-1) during co-culturing with plantaricin-producing L. plantarum (strains BFE 5092 and PCS 20) was investigated using fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy (FRIM). Mono-cultures of L. monocytogenes were used as control. Expression levels of plantaricin-encoding genes by sessile and planktonic L. plantarum were determined using qRT-PCR. L.plantarum BFE 5092 possesses the genes for plantaricin EF, JK and N, while L. plantarum PCS 20 contains the genes for plantaricin EF, although determination of the nucleotide sequence of the PCS 20 plantaricin E gene showed that this peptide is probably non-functional. When cultured as mono-culture, both L. monocytogenes strains maintained pH(i) at a constant level around 7.2-7.6 throughout the experiment, independently of the matrix. On a solid surface, L. plantarum BFE 5092 strongly affected pH(i) of L. monocytogenes N53-1 with only 20% of the cells being able to maintain pH(i) in the physiological optimal range with pH>7 and 52% of the cells with pH(i) approximately pH(ex,) showing that the cells had no proton gradient towards the environment. The effect on L. monocytogenes EGDe was less pronounced, but still notable. L.plantarum PCS 20 left both strains of L. monocytogenes virtually unaffected when co-cultured on a solid surface. In liquid, both L. plantarum strains strongly affected the physiological state of L. monocytogenes EGDe as judged by pH(i), whereas L. monocytogenes N53-1 was left virtually unaffected after 5h of co-culturing and after 8h 50% of the cells still maintained pH(i)>or=7. Higher concentrations of lactic acid were produced in liquid compared to a solid surface, and the different response of EGDe and N53-1 to the activities of the two L. plantarum strains probably reflect higher susceptibility of L. monocytogenes EGDe to organic acids compared to L. monocytogenes N53-1. Taken together, our results may be explained by the difference in the range of plantaricins produced by the two L. plantarum strains and matrix- and strain-related differences in the susceptibility of L. monocytogenes to plantaricins and organic acids. In conclusion, the present study represents the first demonstration of the ability of a bacteriocin-producing LAB to dissipate the proton gradient of sessile and planktonic L. monocytogenes.

Functional properties of novel protective lactic acid bacteria and application in raw chicken meat against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enteritidis

In this study 635 lactic acid bacteria of food origin were evaluated for their potential application as protective cultures in foods. A stepwise selection method was used to obtain the most appropriate strains for application as protective cultures in chicken meat. Specifically, all strains were examined for antimicrobial activity against various Gram positive and Gram negative pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Strains exhibiting anti-bacterial activity were subsequently examined for survival in simulated food processing and gastrointestinal tract conditions, such as high temperatures, low pH, starvation and the presence of NaCl and bile salts. Selected strains where then examined for basic safety properties such as antibiotic resistance and haemolytic potential, while their antimicrobial activity was further investigated by PCR screening for possession of known bacteriocin genes. Two chosen strains were then applied on raw chicken meat to evaluate their protective ability against two common food pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enteritidis, but also to identify potential spoilage effects by the application of the protective cultures on the food matrix. Antimicrobial activity in vitro was evident against Gram positive indicators, mainly Listeria and Brochothrix spp., while no antibacterial activity was obtained against any of the Gram negative bacteria tested. The antimicrobial activity was of a proteinaceous nature while strains with anti-listerial activity were found to possess one or more bacteriocin genes, mainly enterocins. Strains generally exhibited sensitivity to pH 2.0, but good survival at 45 degrees C, in the presence of bile salts and NaCl as well as during starvation, while variable survival rates were obtained at 55 degrees C. None of the strains was found to be haemolytic while variable antibiotic resistance profiles were obtained. Finally, when the selected strains Enterococcus faecium PCD71 and Lactobacillus fermentum ACA-DC179 were applied as protective cultures in chicken meat against L. monocytogenes and S. enteritidis respectively, a significantly reduced growth of these pathogenic bacteria was observed. In addition, these two strains did not appear to have any detrimental effect on biochemical parameters related to spoilage of the chicken meat.

Weissellicin 110, a newly discovered bacteriocin from Weissella cibaria 110, isolated from plaa-som, a fermented fish product from Thailand

Weissella cibaria 110, isolated from the Thai fermented fish product plaa-som, was found to produce a bacteriocin active against some gram-positive bacteria. Bacteriocin activity was not eliminated by exposure to high temperatures or catalase but was destroyed by exposure to the proteolytic enzymes proteinase K and trypsin. The bacteriocin from W. cibaria 110 was purified, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the purified bacteriocin contained one protein band that was approximately 2.5 kDa in size. Mass spectrometry analysis showed the mass of the peptide to be approximately 3,487.8 Da. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis was performed, and 27 amino acids were identified. Because it has no similarity to other known bacteriocins, this bacteriocin was defined as a new bacteriocin and termed weissellicin 110.