Effect of allyl isothiocyanate on the growth and virulence of Clostridium perfringens and its application on cooked pork.

The objective of this study is to explore the antibacterial action modes and virulence-inhibitory effects of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AITC against vegetative cells of Cp 13124 was 0.1 µL/mL, and the time-kill kinetics analysis revealed that AITC could significantly suppress the growth of Cp 13124. According to the results from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence microscopy, and UV absorbance substance detection, the cell membrane of Cp 13124 was damaged upon AITC treatment, causing a loss of integrity and the release of intracellular substances. Meanwhile, the fluorescence quenching experiment indicated the interaction of AIT-C with membrane proteins, which caused changes in the conformation of membrane proteins. Measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that AITC could induce apoptosis through oxidative stress. The formation of Cp 13124 biofilms was inhibited by AITC using the crystalline violet method, which was possibly related to the inhibition of sliding motility. Finally, low concentrations of AITC could be used as an antibacterial agent to inhibit the outgrowth of Cp 13124 in cooked pork, suggesting that AITC is a promising candidate for novel preservatives in the meat business.

Anti-diabetic properties of Momordica charantia L. polysaccharide in alloxan-induced diabetic mice.

A water-soluble polysaccharide (MCP) was isolated from the fruits of Momordica charantia L., and the hypoglycemic effects of MCP were investigated in both normal healthy and alloxan-induced diabetic mice. MCP was orally administered once a day after 3 days of alloxan-induction at 100, 200 and 300mg/kg body weight for 28 day. Results showed that fasting blood glucose level (BGL) was significantly decreased, whereas the glucose tolerance was marked improvement in alloxan-induced diabetic mice, and loss in body weight was also prevented in diabetic mice compared to the diabetic control group. The dosage of 300mg/kg body weight exhibited the best effects. In addition, MCP did not exhibit any toxic symptoms in the limited toxicity evaluation in mice. The results suggest that MCP possess significantly dose-dependent anti-diabetic activity on alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Hence, MCP can be incorporated as a supplement in health-care food, drugs and/or combined with other hypoglycemic drugs.