Antibacterial activity of phenyllactic acid against Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli by dual mechanisms.

Phenyllactic acid (PLA), a phenolic acid phytochemical, is considered to be a promising candidate for use as a chemical preservative due to its broad antimicrobial activity. The antibacterial target of PLA has rarely been reported, thus investigations were performed to elucidate the antibacterial mechanism of PLA against Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli. Flow cytometry analysis stained with propidium iodide (PI) demonstrated that PLA could damage the membrane integrity of L. monocytogenes, while it could not disrupt that of E. coli. The uptake of 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine (NPN) indicated that PLA interrupted the outer membrane permeability of E. coli. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation visualized the damage caused by PLA as morphological changes in L. monocytogenes and E. coli. Fluorescence assays demonstrated that PLA could interact with bacterial genomic DNA in the manner of intercalation. This finding suggested dual antibacterial targets of PLA, namely membrane and genomic DNA.

Metabolic mechanism of phenyllactic acid naturally occurring in Chinese pickles.

Phenyllactic acid, a phenolic acid phytochemical with the antimicrobial activity, was rarely reported in food besides honey and sourdough. This study evidenced a new food source of phenyllactic acid and elucidated its metabolic mechanism. Phenyllactic acid naturally occurred in Chinese pickles with concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.30 mM in 23 pickle samples including homemade and commercial ones. Then, lactic acid bacteria capable of metabolizing phenyllactic acid were screened from each homemade pickle and a promising strain was characterized as Lactobacillus plantarum. Moreover, the investigation of the metabolic mechanism of phenyllactic acid in pickles suggested that the yield of phenyllactic acid was positively related to the content of phenylalanine in food, and the addition of phenylalanine as precursor substance could significantly promote the production of phenyllactic acid. This investigation could provide some insights into the accumulation of phenyllactic acid in pickle for long storage life.