Synergistic Inactivation of Bacteria Using a Combination of Erythorbyl Laurate and UV Type-A Light Treatment

L-Rhamnose Globally Changes the Transcriptome of Planktonic and Biofilm Escherichia coli Cells and Modulates Biofilm Growth

L-rhamnose, a naturally abundant sugar, plays diverse biological roles in bacteria, influencing biofilm formation and pathogenesis. This study investigates the global impact of L-rhamnose on the transcriptome and biofilm formation of PHL628 E. coli under various experimental conditions. We compared growth in planktonic and biofilm states in rich (LB) and minimal (M9) media at 28 °C and 37 °C, with varying concentrations of L-rhamnose or D-glucose as a control. Our results reveal that L-rhamnose significantly affects growth kinetics and biofilm formation, particularly reducing biofilm growth in rich media at 37 °C. Transcriptomic analysis through RNA-seq showed that L-rhamnose modulates gene expression differently depending on the temperature and media conditions, promoting a planktonic state by upregulating genes involved in rhamnose transport and metabolism and downregulating genes related to adhesion and biofilm formation. These findings highlight the nuanced role of L-rhamnose in bacterial adaptation and survival, providing insight into potential applications in controlling biofilm-associated infections and industrial biofilm management.

Recent advances on erythorbyl fatty acid esters as multi-functional food emulsifiers

Over the past few decades, food scientists have investigated a wide range of emulsifiers to manufacture stable and safe emulsion-based food products. More recently, the development of emulsifiers with multi-functionality, which is the ability to have more than two functions, has been considered as a promising strategy for resolving rancidification and microbial contamination in emulsions. Erythorbyl fatty acid esters (EFEs) synthesized by enzymatic esterification of hydrophilic erythorbic acid and hydrophobic fatty acid have been proposed as multi-functional emulsifiers since they simultaneously exhibit amphiphilic, antioxidative, and antibacterial properties in both aqueous and emulsion systems. This review provides current knowledge about EFEs in terms of enzymatic synthesis and multi-functionality. All processes for synthesizing and identifying EFEs are discussed. Each functionality of EFEs and the proposed mechanism are described with analytical methodologies and experimental details. It would provide valuable insights into the development and application of a multi-functional emulsifier in food emulsion chemistry.