title: Antimicrobial activity of various cationic molecules on foodborne pathogens.
abstract: Antibacterial effects of various arginine- and lysine-rich polycationic proteins and polymers were evaluated by broth and solid dilution assay on a range of foodborne pathogens, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of α-poly-L-lysine (poly-lys), α-poly-L-arginine (poly-arg) and protamines from herring sperm (clupeine sulphate) and salmon sperm (salmine sulphate) were determined on Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella sonnei, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All these molecules showed antibacterial activity on all strains with different MIC and MBC values. The molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of α-poly-L-arginine might be related to the entrance of the molecule into the cell. In fact α-poly-L-arginine labelled with 7-Diethylamino coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, succinimidyl ester (DEAC,SE) showed ability to permeate the cell membrane of B. cereus and E. coli O157:H7.
authors: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
authors: Mariachiara
authors: M
authors: Conte
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Aliberti
authors: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Fucci
authors: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80126, Naples, Italy. piscopo@unina.it.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Piscopo
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Cationic molecules; Foodborne pathogens; Poly-L-arginine; Protamine