Antimicrobial activity of lysozyme against bacteria involved in food spoilage and food-borne disease

Abstract

Egg white lysozyme was demonstrated to have antibacterial activity against organisms of concern in food safety, including Listeria monocytogenes and certain strains of Clostridium botulinum. We also found that the food spoilage thermophile Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum was highly susceptible to lysozyme and confirmed that the spoilage organisms Bacillus stearothermophilus and Clostridium tyrobutyricum were also extremely sensitive. Several gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens isolated from food poisoning outbreaks, including Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, and Yersinia enterocolitica, were all resistant. The results of this study suggest that lysozyme may have selected applications in food preservation, especially when thermophilic sporeformers are problems, and as a safeguard against food poisoning caused by C. botulinum and L. monocytogenes.

Pediococcus acidilactici PO2 Bacteriocin Production in Whey Permeate and Inhibition of Listeria monocyfogenes in Foods

“…It was suggested that proteins such as lysozyme in egg albumin might be responsible for the death of L. monocytogenes. It was demonstrated that egg white lysozyme lysed L. monocytogenes cell suspended in phosphate buffer (Hughey and Johnson, 1987). Wang and Shelef (1991) also reported that the antilisterial effects of albumin were primarily due to lysozyme.…”

Control of Pathogenic and Spoilage Microorganisms in Fresh‐cut Fruits and Fruit Juices by Traditional and Alternative Natural Antimicrobials

“…Lysozyme is generally active against most Gram-positive bacteria, particularly thermophilic spore formers (Beuchat and Golden 1989). Hughey and Johnson (1987) reported that lysozyme is inhibitory to several food spoilage organisms as well as to some pathogens, including L. monocytogenes, C. jejuni, B. cereus, and C. botulinum. Gram-positive bacteria are more susceptible to lysozyme than Gram-negative bacteria due to the different contents of peptidoglycan in their cell walls.…”

The Effect of Lysozyme and Butylated Hydroxyanizole on Spoilage and Pathogenic Bacteria Associated With Foods

“…These results are in contrast with those of Shibasaki (1984) who reported that L from egg white lysed and killed many Gram-positive bacteria. However, Hughey and Johnson (1987) reported that several Gram-positive and Gramnegative foodborne pathogens were resistant to L. They suggested that L had only limited applications in food preservation being particularly effective against INHIBITION O F BACTERIA FOUND IN FOOD 63 thermophilic sporeformers. More recently it was shown that L at concentrations up to 200 pglmL was ineffective at inhibiting the growth of strains of P. fluorescens 22F, S. typhimurium, E. coli 0157:H7 or L. monocytogenes VPHI (Payne et al 1994), but Johansen et al (1994 reported that L lysed and inhibited growth ofL.…”