Biocontrol Approaches against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Foods

Abstract

Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a well-known water- and food-borne zoonotic pathogen that can cause gastroenteritis in humans. It threatens the health of millions of people each year; several outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 infections have been linked to the consumption of contaminated plant foods (e.g., lettuce, spinach, tomato, and fresh fruits) and beef-based products. To control E. coli O157:H7 in foods, several physical (e.g., irradiation, pasteurization, pulsed electric field, and high-pressure processing) and chemical (e.g., using peroxyacetic acid; chlorine dioxide; sodium hypochlorite; and organic acids, such as acetic, lactic, and citric) methods have been widely used. Although the methods are quite effective, they are not applicable to all foods and carry intrinsic disadvantages (alteration of sensory properties, toxicity, etc.). Therefore, the development of safe and effective alternative methods has gained increased attention recently. Biocontrol agents, including bacteriophages, probiotics, antagonistic bacteria, plant-derived natural compounds, bacteriocins, endolysins, and enzymes, are rapidly emerging as effective, selective, relatively safe for human consumption, and environmentally friendly alternatives. This paper summarizes advances in the application of biocontrol agents for E. coli O157:H7 control in foods.

Evaluating the antagonistic effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus against Shiga toxigenic and non-toxigenic Escherichia coli strains in bioyogurt

“…The primary criteria for selecting a biocontrol agent include having high antagonistic activity against the pathogens, safety for human consumption, and not interfering with the nutritional and organoleptic attributes of the dairy products (Ali et al ., 2019; Fahim et al ., 2021). Bio-agents, such as probiotics have the potential to exert an antagonistic effect against different strains of E. coli in addition to degrading their toxins (Puligundla and Lim, 2022). In various studies, probiotics were shown to remove toxins or toxins-producing pathogens by disrupting or changing the permeability of the plasma membrane, inhibiting protein translation, or preventing the binding receptors (Murray et al ., 2020; Ghadaksaz et al ., 2022).…”

Synergistic bactericidal effect of nisin and phytic acid against Escherichia coli O157:H7

“…Most outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 throughout the world in the recent past have been associated with the consumption of undercooked beef (Puligundla & Lim, 2022), thus using preservatives to inhibit the growth of E. coli O157:H7 on beef is of great importance. In our study, we found that cocktails of nisin and PA can efficiently kill planktonic and biofilm cells of E. coli O157:H7.…”

Application of a novel lytic phage vB_EcoM_SQ17 for the biocontrol of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Enterotoxigenic E. coli in food matrices

“…EHEC O157:H7, in particular, is one of the major foodborne pathogens worldwide and can cause fatal infections. Even a very low dose (50-100 CFU/g or ml) of EHEC O157:H7 can cause serious human diseases (Forghani et al, 2018;Puligundla and Lim, 2022). EHEC O157:H7 infection is characterized by severe hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans (Li et al, 2021).…”

“…Chemical (e.g., antibiotics, disinfectants, and organic acids) and physical (e.g., irradiation, pasteurization, pulsed electric field, and high-pressure processing) control strategies have been widely applied to reduce and inhibit EHEC O157:H7 in the food industry (Chun et al, 2017;Minh et al, 2020;Guo et al, 2021;Puligundla and Lim, 2022). However, these methods suffer from severe major weaknesses (Minh et al, 2020).…”

“…Physical control strategies, such as irradiation, may destroy the nutrients in foods or require high costs. Therefore, these strategies are not applicable for many kinds of foods (Minh et al, 2020;Puligundla and Lim, 2022). As a result, an alternative approach is urgently needed to control EHEC O157:H7 and ETEC contamination in foods.…”