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Evaluation of Ascorbic Acid as a Quorum‐sensing Analogue to Control Growth, Sporulation, and Enterotoxin Production in Clostridium perfringens
Author(s) -
NOVAK J. S.,
FRATAMICO P. M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.tb13374.x
Subject(s) - ascorbic acid , enterotoxin , clostridium perfringens , quorum sensing , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , growth inhibition , biochemistry , biology , bacteria , escherichia coli , in vitro , virulence , genetics , gene
Inhibition of quorum sensing measured by autoinducer‐2 (AI‐2) activity was investigated in the presence and absence of ascorbic acid, an AI‐2 analogue. Subsequent effects on AI‐2 production, as well as growth, sporulation, and enterotoxin ( C. perfringens enterotoxin [CPE]) production in Clostridium perfringens were examined. The addition of ascorbic acid to supernatants from ground beef resulted in a 100‐fold decrease in AI‐2 activity. The addition of sodium ascorbate, a nonacidic salt of ascorbic acid, also resulted in AI‐2 assay inhibition. Spore production decreased in the presence of ascorbic acid. Western immunoblot analyses showed that CPE levels were highest after 24 h without ascorbic acid. This study explored the unique concept of signal inhibition to control pathogens in food.