Elicitation of Stress-Induced Phenolic Metabolites for Antimicrobial Applications against Foodborne Human Bacterial Pathogens

Abstract

Foodborne bacterial pathogens in consumed foods are major food safety concerns worldwide, leading to serious illness and even death. An exciting strategy is to use novel phenolic compounds against bacterial pathogens based on recruiting the inducible metabolic responses of plant endogenous protective defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. Such stress-inducible phenolic metabolites have high potential to reduce bacterial contamination, and particularly improve safety of plant foods. The stimulation of plant protective response by inducing biosynthesis of stress-inducible phenolics with antimicrobial properties is among the safe and effective strategies that can be targeted for plant food safety and human gut health benefits. Metabolically driven elicitation with physical, chemical, and microbial elicitors has shown significant improvement in the biosynthesis of phenolic metabolites with antimicrobial properties in food and medicinal plants. Using the above rationale, this review focuses on current advances and relevance of metabolically driven elicitation strategies to enhance antimicrobial phenolics in plant food models for bacterial-linked food safety applications. Additionally, the specific objective of this review is to explore the potential role of redox-linked pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) regulation for enhancing biosynthesis of stress-inducible antibacterial phenolics in elicited plants, which are relevant for wider food safety and human health benefits.

Phytochemicals-linked food safety and human health protective benefits of the selected food-based botanicals

“…The mechanism of antimicrobial activity of phenolic phytochemicals is due to their ability to permeabilize the microbial cell membrane, inhibit DNA or protein synthesis, inhibit microbial metabolic activity, as well as chelate compounds required for microbial growth [ 58 – 61 ]. The antimicrobial activity observed in the current study clearly suggests that these selected botanicals, especially amla and kokum with their high baseline phenolic content, are good bioactive ingredients to counter bacterial contamination of other plant-based foods.…”

Sulfur Induces Resistance against Canker Caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidae via Phenolic Components Increase and Morphological Structure Modification in the Kiwifruit Stems

“…Phenolic components include lignin, soluble phenolic compounds, phenolic phytochemicals, and other antibacterial substances, all of which are metabolites of phenylpropane. The accumulation of phenolic components in plants is often part of the defense response against the attack and stress of pathogens, which can be triggered and activated by elicitors [30]. Deenamo et al found that salicylic acid could induce resistance in rubber tree against Phytophthora palmivora by promoting the activities of H 2 O 2 , catalase (CAT), POD and PAL, increasing the content of lignin [31].…”

Berry and Grape Metabolites for Antimicrobial Applications Against Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens

“…Antioxidant-dependent changes in bacterial proteins involved in, for example, energy metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, DNA metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis lead to irreversible changes in bacterial metabolism and eventual death [40]. An important property in the context of the antibacterial activity of polyphenolic compounds is their ability to inhibit the enzyme DNA gyrase, which, in turn, leads to the inhibition of bacterial DNA synthesis [42,43]. Another enzyme essential for the energy metabolism of bacteria is ATP synthase, which undergoes a polyphenol-dependent inhibition, leading to the death of microorganisms [44,45].…”