Removal of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Cronobacter sakazakii biofilms from food contact surfaces through enzymatic catalysis

Abstract

Bacterial biofilms are highly difficult to control, hence significant economic resources have been allocated to develop strategies to eradicate them. This study evaluated the effect of an enzymatic treatment to be used as a cleaning product to control the presence of biofilms. Two different materials used in the food industry, polystyrene and stainless steel, were tested using Salmonella Typhimuirum and Cronobacter sakazakii. Biofilm formation was carried out by inoculating the surfaces with a standardized concentration of 4 log (CFU cm−2) and incubated for 48 hr with renewal of nutrients. The biofilm formation and subsequent enzymatic treatment were quantified using fluorescence microscopy and the conventional culture method. The enzymatic treatment showed significant reductions of 2–3 log (CFU cm−2) in biofilm cells, which was attributed to the degradation of the extracellular matrix and the further detachment of both microorganisms. The maximum biofilm detachment obtained with the preventive formula was 46.67%; however, this percentage could be increased by applying an aggressive treatment or by adding a subsequent disinfection step that would eliminate adhered microbial cells. Further, the enzymatic cleaning treatment could be exploited as a potent technology to control bacterial adherence and biofilm formation in the food industry.

Removal of Mixed-Species Biofilms Developed on Food Contact Surfaces with a Mixture of Enzymes and Chemical Agents

“…Biofilms in the food processing environment are composed of multiple microorganisms, resulting in an EPS with a heterogenic composition [ 28 ]. Recently, it has been demonstrated that polysaccharides in biofilms developed by Gram-negative bacteria, such as alginic acid, are the main component of the EPS matrix [ 13 ]. For example, the EPS matrix of S. Typhimurium is mainly composed of aggregative fimbriae and extracellular polysaccharides (cellulose) [ 29 ].…”

“…Disinfection is the application of physical methods (UV light, cold plasma, ultrasound, etc.) or chemical agents (biocides and antimicrobials) to cause damage to or kill microorganisms [ 13 ]. Nonetheless, the use of physical [ 14 ] or chemical methods [ 15 , 16 ] is not enough to remove and eradicate the microorganisms within the biofilm, because the EPS occludes them with antimicrobial agents, reducing the shear forces [ 5 , 17 ].…”

Biofilm-Forming Ability and Effect of Sanitation Agents on Biofilm-Control of Thermophile Geobacillus sp. D413 and Geobacillus toebii E134

“…However, bacteria may be resistant to conventional treatments. Therefore, there is a need to enhance the methods and consider new strategies due to bacterial resistance’s serious problem ( Ripolles-Avila et al 2019 ).…”

Inhibition of Cronobacter sakazakii by Litsea cubeba Essential Oil and the Antibacterial Mechanism

“…Bacterial biofilms, including of C. sakazakii , are difficult to control because the biofilm provides protection for the bacteria in the film [ 7 ]. Therefore, in order to eradicate biofilms in the food industry, considerable economic resources have been spent in the development of strategies [ 55 ]. In this study, LC-EO significantly reduced the number of viable bacteria in biofilms formed by C. sakazakii ( Figure 9 ).…”