Growth inhibition of foodborne pathogens by Oenococcus oeni.

Unlabelled: To explore the possibility of using Oenococcus oeni to inhibit foodborne pathogens, and to characterize antimicrobial compounds produced by O. oeni, 24 strains of O. oeni were tested for their ability to inhibit growth of foodborne pathogens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes by using the spot-on-lawn method. Of the 24 strains, 17 strains were able to inhibit all 3 pathogens in this study. Proteases, catalase, and buffer solutions were used for determining the type of inhibitory compounds produced from 4 selected strains with stronger inhibitory activity. Antimicrobial activity of 2 strains against the pathogens was completely inactivated by buffer solution, and other 2 strains against E. coli O157:H7 were partially removed. The antimicrobial compound was not sensitive to selected proteases and catalase.

Practical Application: There is little information available about using O. oeni for human pathogens control. The results of this study revealed such discovery and potential applications for pathogen control.