Characterization of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and acid tolerance of foodborne pathogenic bacteria

Year 2020, , 311 - 318, 15.09.2020

Reha Azizoglu

https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2020.3.10

Abstract

Foodborne pathogenic bacteria are subject to different stressful conditions due to process conditions, storage and composition of food. It is crucial to understand the survival characteristics of these bacteria to develop effective measures to limit or eliminate their survival in food. EDTA is a chelating agent and commonly used in food formulations for its function to prevent discoloration or flavor loss in food and to extend shelf life. Due to its common use in food industry, it is important to understand its antimicrobial function for possible interaction with other antimicrobials for elimination of foodborne pathogens. In this study, different foodborne pathogenic bacteria including two Gram-positive (Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and three Gram-negative (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium) bacteria were characterized for their survival and growth in the presence of EDTA (0.01 and 0.05%) and under acidic condition (pH 5.0). The presence of EDTA in the growth media caused Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to become more susceptible to subsequent stressful conditions compared to control (p<0.05). Gram-negative bacteria were more tolerant to acidic conditions as well as presence of EDTA compared to Gram-positive bacteria (p<0.05). This study provides insight on survival characteristics of foodborne pathogenic bacteria against selected stress conditions they are exposed in food and highlights the antimicrobial function of EDTA in food formulations.

Keywords

Stress response, Foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, EDTA, Acid tolerance

References

• Alakomi, H. L., Paananen, A., Suihko, M. L., Helander, I. M., & Saarela, M. (2006). Weakening effect of cell permeabilizers on gram-negative bacteria causing biodeterioration. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 72(7), 4695-4703. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00142-06
• Cheng, H. Y., Yu, R. C., & Chou, C. C. (2003). Increased acid tolerance of Escherichia coli O157: H7 as affected by acid adaptation time and conditions of acid challenge. Food Research International, 36(1), 49-56. DOI: 10.1016/S0963-9969(02)00107-2
• Gill, A. O., & Holley, R. A. (2003). Interactive inhibition of meat spoilage and pathogenic bacteria by lysozyme, nisin and EDTA in the presence of nitrite and sodium chloride at 24 C. International journal of food microbiology, 80(3), 251-259. DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1605(02)00171-X
• Guardabassi, L., Ghibaudo, G., & Damborg, P. (2010). In vitro antimicrobial activity of a commercial ear antiseptic containing chlorhexidine and Tris–EDTA. Veterinary dermatology, 21(3), 282-286. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2009.00812.x
• Jordan, S., Hutchings, M. I., & Mascher, T. (2008). Cell envelope stress response in Gram-positive bacteria. FEMS microbiology reviews, 32(1), 107-146. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2007.00091.x
• Khazandi, M., Pi, H., Chan, W. Y., Ogunniyi, A. D., Sim, J. X. F., Venter, H., Garg, S., Page, S.W., Hill, P.B., McCluskey, A., Trott, D. J. (2019). In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Robenidine, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid and Polymyxin B Nonapeptide Against Important Human and Veterinary Pathogens. Frontiers in microbiology, 10, 837. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00837
• McBroom, A. J., & Kuehn, M. J. (2007). Release of outer membrane vesicles by Gram‐negative bacteria is a novel envelope stress response. Molecular microbiology, 63(2), 545-558. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05522.x
• Siegumfeldt H, Björn Rechinger K, Jakobsen M (2000) Dynamic changes of intracellular ph in individual lactic acid bacterium cells in response to a rapid drop inextracellular pH. Appl Environ Microbiol 66:2330–2335. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.66.6.2330-2335.2000
• Sim, J. X. F., Khazandi, M., Pi, H., Venter, H., Trott, D. J., & Deo, P. (2019). Antimicrobial effects of cinnamon essential oil and cinnamaldehyde combined with EDTA against canine otitis externa pathogens. Journal of applied microbiology, 127(1), 99-108. DOI: 10.1111/jam.14298
• Vaara, M. (1992). Agents that increase the permeability of the outer membrane. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 56(3), 395-411. PMCID: PMC372877
• Vale, J., Ribeiro, M., Abreu, A. C., Soares‐Silva, I., & Simões, M. (2019). The use of selected phytochemicals with EDTA against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis single‐and dual‐species biofilms. Letters in applied microbiology, 68(4), 313-320. DOI: 10.1111/lam.13137
• Wesche, A. M., Gurtler, J. B., Marks, B. P., & Ryser, E. T. (2009). Stress, sublethal injury, resuscitation, and virulence of bacterial foodborne pathogens. Journal of food protection, 72(5), 1121-1138. DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-72.5.1121
• Yeargin, T., & Gibson, K. E. (2019). Key characteristics of foods with an elevated risk for viral enteropathogen contamination. Journal of applied microbiology, 126(4), 996-1010. DOI: 10.1111/jam.14113