title: Synergistic Antibacterial Effect of the Combination of ε-Polylysine and Nisin against Enterococcus faecalis.
abstract: This study evaluated the antibacterial effect of the combination of ε-polylysine (ε-PL) and nisin against Enterococcus faecalis strains. The combination of ε-PL and nisin showed synergistic antibacterial activity against three Enterococcus strains. Scanning electron microscopy and a membrane permeability assay revealed that the combined treatment with ε-PL and nisin synergistically damaged the cell morphology of E. faecalis strain R612Z1 cells. Both ε-PL and nisin can dissipate the transmembrane electric potential of E. faecalis R612Z1 cells, but these peptides did not affect the transmembrane pH gradient. The combination of ε-PL and nisin can produce a high reactive oxygen species level in E. faecalis R612Z1 cells. The results indicated that the uptake of ε-PL into cells was promoted through nisin and that the combination of ε-PL and nisin could produce a high reactive oxygen species level in E. faecalis R612Z1 cells, leading to cell growth inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China; College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210046, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lihui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Daoying
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Muhan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China. xiaoxi_xu01@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoxi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yongzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D005511:Food Handling; D019649:Food Industry; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009561:Nisin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010539:Permeability; D011107:Polylysine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D009561:Nisin; D011107:Polylysine; C102526:nisin A