Antimicrobial Activity of Synthetic Enterocins A, B, P, SEK4, and L50, Alone and in Combinations, against Clostridium perfringens

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant Clostridium perfringens infections are a major threat to the poultry industry. Effective alternatives to antibiotics are urgently needed to prevent these infections and limit the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The aim of the study was to produce by chemical synthesis a set of enterocins of different subgroups of class II bacteriocins and to compare their spectrum of inhibitory activity, either alone or in combination, against a panel of twenty C. perfringens isolates. Enterocins A, P, SEK4 (class IIa bacteriocins), B (unsubgrouped class II bacteriocin), and L50 (class IId leaderless bacteriocin) were produced by microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis. Their antimicrobial activity was determined by agar well diffusion and microtitration methods against twenty C. perfringens isolates and against other pathogens. The FICINDEX of different combinations of the selected enterocins was calculated in order to identify combinations with synergistic effects. The results showed that synthetic analogs of L50A and L50B were the most active against C. perfringens. These peptides also showed the broadest spectrum of activity when tested against other non-clostridial indicator strains, including Listeria monocytogenes, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus cecorum, Enterococcus faecalis, as well as Gram-negative bacteria (Campylobacter coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), among others. The selected synthetic enterocins were combined on the basis of their different mechanisms of action, and all combinations tested showed synergy or partial synergy against C. perfringens. In conclusion, because of their high activity against C. perfringens and other pathogens, the use of synthetic enterocins alone or as a consortium can be a good alternative to the use of antibiotics in the poultry sector.

Genomic insights from Enterococcus faecium SMAN_Baghdad isolated from the honey bee gut and analysis of its potential antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

“…[43]. Enterocin L50a and L50b are promising antimicrobial compounds because of their excellent activity at low concentrations against a wide spectrum of pathogens [44]. Furthermore, several virulence genes, such as adhesion and binding genes (acm, fms genes, fnm, sagA,and sgrA), were detected in our strain by using a genomic sequencing database [45].…”

Absent in Melanoma 2 Mediates Inflammasome Signaling Activation against Clostridium perfringens Infection

“…However, the role of AIM2 in pathogenic C. perfringens infection has not been reported. Infection with pathogenic C. perfringens can lead to necrotizing enterocolitis, small intestinal colitis, intestinal toxemia, gas gangrene, systemic diseases, and diarrhea [27,28]. These clostridial diseases not only cause incalculable economic losses to the livestock industry, but also pose a risk to human health.…”