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The Evaluation of Biofilm Formation, Virulence Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance...
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The Evaluation of Biofilm Formation, Virulence Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance of Food-Associated Microorganisms

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 April 2025) | Viewed by 5578

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiaodong Xia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116304, China
Interests: foodborne pathogens; biofilm; stress resistance; pathogenicity; natural antimicrobials; food preservation; microbiota; functional foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xin Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
Interests: Staphylococcus aureus; toxins; detection; biofilms; stress response; pathogenicity
Dr. Zhenbo Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Interests: biofilm; foodborne microorganisms; antimicrobial resistance; pathogenicity and virulence; stress response; quorum sensing; polymicrobial interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Foods could be contaminated with various microbes at the different stages of food systems, ranging from production, processing, storage, transportation, and consumption. Although numerous strategies have been developed to inactivate unwanted microbes or retard their growth, food spoilage or foodborne illnesses caused by those food-associated microbes occur everyday in the world and pose significant threat to food industry and human health. Microbes commonly encounter different stresses in foods or food-associated environments, and one of the successful tactics they utilize to survive these harsh conditions is to form biofilms, which substantially enhance their resistance to stress induced by processing or other factors. Microbial pathogens vary in their capacity to cause infections, and only those containing key virulence factors could lead to disease after being ingested with foods. Moreover, the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in foodborne pathogens or probiotics is a persisting concern in the food industry and also constitutes an important route for the dissemination of resistance genes. In this Special Issue of Foods, we are encouraging the submission of manuscripts exploring biofilm formation, virulence, and antibiotic resistance of food-associated microbes, which include but are not limited to spoilage microorganisms, foodborne pathogens, and probiotics. This Special Issue welcomes all original research and review articles that focus on the biofilm formation, virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, or other related properties of various microorganisms associated with foods.

Prof. Dr. Xiaodong Xia
Prof. Dr. Xin Wang
Dr. Zhenbo Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • foodborne pathogens
  • spoilage microorganisms
  • biofilm
  • virulence factors
  • antibiotic resistance

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 1899 KiB  
Article
Antibiofilm Power of Basil Essential Oil Against Fish-Originated Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella and Bacillus spp.: Targeting Biofilms on Food Contact Surfaces
by Valentina Pavone, Francisco Emilio Argote-Vega, Waleed Butt, Junior Bernardo Molina-Hernandez, Domenico Paludi, Johannes Delgado-Ospina, Luca Valbonetti, José Ángel Pérez-Álvarez and Clemencia Chaves-López
Foods 2025, 14(10), 1830; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14101830 - 21 May 2025
Viewed by 613
Abstract
The antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of two Ocimum basilicum L., essential oils sourced from Colombia (BEOC) and Italy (BEOI), was evaluated against multidrug-resistant fish isolates of Salmonella enterica subsp. salamae, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus oceanisediminis—species for which such activity has [...] Read more.
The antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of two Ocimum basilicum L., essential oils sourced from Colombia (BEOC) and Italy (BEOI), was evaluated against multidrug-resistant fish isolates of Salmonella enterica subsp. salamae, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus oceanisediminis—species for which such activity has not been previously reported. Using a fish-based model system (FBMS), we found that BEOI, rich in linalool (69.86%), exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity than camphor-dominated BEOC (24.61%). The antimicrobial effects of both EOs were strain- and concentration-dependent, with minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) 3.75–15.0 µL/mL for BEOI and 15.0–30.0 µL/mL for BEOC. Pure linalool showed even greater potency (MBC: 0.0125 to 0.025 µL/mL). Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that BEOI induced severe membrane damage (27% of the cells within 1 h), ultimately leading to the death of 96% of the cells after 24 h. Biofilm formation, assessed in both FBMS and tryptone soy broth (TSB), was strain-dependent, with FBMS promoting higher biofilm production than TSB. Moreover, significant differences in biofilm morphotypes were observed, with the morphotype PDAR (pink dry and rough), characterized by only cellulose, being the most frequently exhibited by the strains (7/15), while BDAR (brown dry and rough), characterized by only curli, was the least expressed (7/15); the remaining strains presented morphotype RDAR. In addition, the strains in polystyrene surfaces accumulated more biomass than stainless steel 304. Notably, BEOI and linaool significantly reduced biofilm formation across all strains, with a reduction of 90% in S. enterica subsp. salamae strains (TJC19 and TJC21. These strains with the RDAR phenotype likely contribute to their strong biofilm-forming capacity. Our findings highlight BEOI’s potential as a natural anti-biofilm agent in food processing environments, offering a promising strategy to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria biofilm-related challenges in the food industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Evaluation of Biofilm Formation, Virulence Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance of Food-Associated Microorganisms)
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18 pages, 3196 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Biofilm Production and Antibiotic Resistance/Susceptibility Profiles of Pseudomonas spp. Isolated from Milk and Dairy Products
by Iván Briega, Sonia Garde, Carmen Sánchez, Eva Rodríguez-Mínguez, Antonia Picon and Marta Ávila
Foods 2025, 14(7), 1105; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14071105 - 22 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1217
Abstract
Dairy-borne Pseudomonas spp., known for causing spoilage, may also exhibit antibiotic resistance and form biofilms, enhancing their persistence in dairy environments and contaminating final products. This study examined biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in 106 Pseudomonas spp. strains isolated from milk, whey, and [...] Read more.
Dairy-borne Pseudomonas spp., known for causing spoilage, may also exhibit antibiotic resistance and form biofilms, enhancing their persistence in dairy environments and contaminating final products. This study examined biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in 106 Pseudomonas spp. strains isolated from milk, whey, and spoiled dairy products. Phylogenetic analysis (based on partial ileS sequences) grouped most strains within the P. fluorescens group, clustering into the P. fluorescens, P. gessardii, P. koorensis, and P. fragi subgroups. Biofilm formation in polystyrene microplates was assessed at 6 °C and 25 °C by crystal violet staining. After 48 h, 72% and 65% of Pseudomonas strains formed biofilms at 6 °C and 25 °C, respectively, with higher biomass production at 6 °C. High biofilm producers included most P. fluorescens, P. shahriarae, P. salmasensis, P. atacamensis, P. gessardii, P. koreensis, and P. lundensis strains. The adnA gene, associated with biofilm formation, was detected in 60% of the biofilm producers, but was absent in P. fragi, P. lundensis, P. weihenstephanensis, and P. putida. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested using the disk diffusion method. All strains were susceptible to amikacin and tobramycin; however, 73% of the strains were resistant to aztreonam, 28% to imipenem and doripenem, 19% to ceftazidime, 13% to meropenem, and 7% to cefepime. A multiple antibiotic resistance index (MARI) > 0.2 was found in 30% of the strains, including multidrug-resistant (n = 15) and extensively drug-resistant (n = 3) strains. These findings highlight Pseudomonas spp. as persistent contaminants and antibiotic resistance reservoirs in dairy environments and products, posing public health risks and economic implications for the dairy industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Evaluation of Biofilm Formation, Virulence Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance of Food-Associated Microorganisms)
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15 pages, 4952 KiB  
Article
Antibacterial Activity of Phloretin Against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Its Application in Seafood
by Siyang Chen, Wenxiu Zhu, Yiqun Zhan and Xiaodong Xia
Foods 2024, 13(22), 3537; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223537 - 6 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1318
Abstract
Although phloretin is widely utilized in the food industry as an additive, its effects on foodborne pathogens remain insufficiently investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of phloretin (PHL) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) and to elucidate the potential [...] Read more.
Although phloretin is widely utilized in the food industry as an additive, its effects on foodborne pathogens remain insufficiently investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of phloretin (PHL) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) and to elucidate the potential mechanisms of action. After PHL treatment, alterations in the cell morphology, cell microstructure, and intracellular contents of V. parahaemolyticus were assessed. Scanning electron microscopy revealed substantial damage to cell integrity, subsequent to PHL treatment. A notable reduction in intracellular components, including proteins, ATP, and DNA, was observed in samples treated with PHL. PHL was shown to inhibit the activities of ATPase, β-galactosidase, and respiratory chain dehydrogenase in V. parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, it was demonstrated to elevate the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and promote cell death. After being applied to sea bass, shrimp, and oysters, PHL effectively inactivated V. parahaemolyticus in these seafoods. These findings demonstrate that PHL has potential for application in seafood to control V. parahaemolyticus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Evaluation of Biofilm Formation, Virulence Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance of Food-Associated Microorganisms)
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18 pages, 2841 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomic Analyses to Unravel Cronobacter sakazakii Resistance Pathways
by Shiyu Liu, Danliangmin Song, Biqi Liu, Kai Dong, Yujun Jiang, Chaoxin Man, Xinyan Yang and Feng Zhao
Foods 2024, 13(17), 2786; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172786 - 1 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1714
Abstract
The proliferation of antibiotic usage has precipitated the emergence of drug-resistant variants of bacteria, thereby augmenting their capacity to withstand pharmaceutical interventions. Among these variants, Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii), prevalent in powdered infant formula (PIF), poses a grave threat to the [...] Read more.
The proliferation of antibiotic usage has precipitated the emergence of drug-resistant variants of bacteria, thereby augmenting their capacity to withstand pharmaceutical interventions. Among these variants, Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii), prevalent in powdered infant formula (PIF), poses a grave threat to the well-being of infants. Presently, global contamination by C. sakazakii is being observed. Consequently, research endeavors have been initiated to explore the strain’s drug resistance capabilities, alterations in virulence levels, and resistance mechanisms. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the resistance mechanisms and virulence levels of C. sakazakii induced by five distinct antibiotics, while concurrently conducting transcriptomic analyses. Compared to the susceptible strains prior to induction, the drug-resistant strains exhibited differential gene expression, resulting in modifications in the activity of relevant enzymes and biofilm secretion. Transcriptomic studies have shown that the expression of glutathione S-transferase and other genes were significantly upregulated after induction, leading to a notable enhancement in biofilm formation ability, alongside the existence of antibiotic resistance mechanisms associated with efflux pumps, cationic antimicrobial peptides, and biofilm formation pathways. These alterations significantly influence the strain’s resistance profile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Evaluation of Biofilm Formation, Virulence Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance of Food-Associated Microorganisms)
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