Counteracting Bacterial Motility: A Promising Strategy to Narrow Listeria monocytogenes Biofilm in Food Processing Industry

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is often associated with processed food as it can form biofilms that represent a source of contamination at all stages of the manufacturing chain. The control and prevention of biofilms in food-processing plants are of utmost importance. This study explores the efficacy of prospect molecules for counteracting bacterial mechanisms leading to biofilm formation. The compounds included the phytomolecule tomatidine, zinc chloride (ZnCl2), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and a more complexed mixture of bacterial compounds from coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS exoproducts). Significant inhibition of L. monocytogenes biofilm formation was evidenced using a microfluidic system and confocal microscopic analyses (p < 0.001). Active molecules were effective at an early stage of biofilm development (≥50% of inhibition) but failed to disperse mature biofilms of L. monocytogenes. According to our findings, prevention of surface attachment was associated with a disruption of bacterial motility. Indeed, agar cell motility assays demonstrated the effectiveness of these molecules. Overall, results highlighted the critical role of motility in biofilm formation and allow to consider flagellum-mediated motility as a promising molecular target in control strategies against L. monocytogenes in food processing environments.

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The Therapeutic Value of Solanum Steroidal (Glyco)Alkaloids: A 10-Year Comprehensive Review

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Targeting motility and chemotaxis as a strategy to combat bacterial pathogens

“…For example, Listeria monocytogenes forms biofilms at many different surfaces and at all stages of the food‐processing chain (Cherifi et al, 2017 ). Structurally very diverse compounds like cell‐free supernatants of coagulase‐negative staphylococci, ZnCl, EDTA or the plant‐derived alkaloid tomatidine were found to inhibit biofilm formation (Doghri et al, 2021 ). To identify the corresponding molecular mechanism, the authors demonstrated that all compounds caused a significant reduction in swimming motility, underlining the importance of motility in biofilm formation (Doghri et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Structurally very diverse compounds like cell‐free supernatants of coagulase‐negative staphylococci, ZnCl, EDTA or the plant‐derived alkaloid tomatidine were found to inhibit biofilm formation (Doghri et al, 2021 ). To identify the corresponding molecular mechanism, the authors demonstrated that all compounds caused a significant reduction in swimming motility, underlining the importance of motility in biofilm formation (Doghri et al, 2021 ). Another study revealed that treatment with agaric acid, a natural fungal fatty acid, dramatically inhibited the biofilm‐forming capacities of S. enterica sv.…”