Effect of natural antimicrobials against Salmonella, Escherichia coli o157:h7 and Listeria monocytogenes

Abstract

Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes are pathogens that have caught the attention of federal agencies and researchers due to their great economic impact when illnesses occur. To reduce the presence of these pathogens, different approaches have been used. However, since the global consumer?s demand for natural ingredients is steadily increasing, the investigation of the effectiveness of potential natural antimicrobials is necessary. In this study, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa L extracts against Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes was investigated. Furthermore, H. sabdariffa L and ?-polylysine were evaluated to reduce populations of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of H. sabdariffa L extracts against Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 was 6,489 ?g/mL and for L. monocytogenes, 5,309 ?g/mL. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of H. sabdariffa L extracts against Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes was 19,467, 58,400 and 29,200 ?g/mL, respectively. The exposure to 58,400 ?g/mL of H. sabdariffa extract at 25 oC for 12 h resulted in reductions of more than 6.0 log CFU/mL for any of the 3 pathogens tested. Ground beef inoculated with S. Agona (GFP) and E. coli O157:H7 (RFP) was subjected to 5 decontamination treatments. Three of the treatments were using H. sabdariffa L and the remaining ?-polylysine. S. Agona (GFP) was reduced in 1.1 log cycles using 10% of ground H. sabdariffa L and E. coli O157:H7 (RFP) was reduced 0.9 log cycles using 400 ppm of ?-polylysine. If these natural antimicrobials are combined with current antimicrobial technologies to form a hurdle effect, higher pathogen reductions could be achieved. Reductions in the presence of pathogens in food may lead into reductions in the incidence of foodborne diseases.