Evaluation of ascorbic acid as a quorum-sensing analogue to control growth, sporulation, and enterotoxin production in Clostridium perfringens

• Published in: Journal of food science Vol. 69; no. 3; pp. FMS72 - FMS78
• Main Authors: Novak, J.S, Fratamico, P.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2004; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: ascorbic acid; bacterial contamination; bacterial spores; Beef; bioassays; Clostridium perfringens; cytopathogenicity; enterotoxins; food contamination; food pathogens; Food safety; Food science; furanones; furans; ground beef; inhibition; inhibitors; microbial growth; Pathogens; quorum sensing; signal transduction; sporulation; Toxins
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.tb13374.x

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.