Investigating the Inhibitory Effect of Lactic Acid on Biofilm Production by Raw Chicken Meat <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. Isolates in Pure and Mixed Cultures

Abstract

Campylobacter spp. are the main cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide, and the biofilm growth mode seems to play a key role in their prevalence. In this work, the effect of lactic acid (LA) on planktonic growth and biofilm production by eight Campylobacter spp. raw chicken meat isolates was investigated using polystyrene and stainless steel as the abiotic substrata. Results revealed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) values of LA against the Campylobacter isolates ranged from 1024 to 4096 μg/mL depending on the isolate, mode of growth (planktonic vs. biofilm; single vs. mixed culture), and the growth medium. Overall, the results of this work offer insights into the biofilm control of a pathogen of public health importance.

Keywords

• lactic acid
• <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>
• <i>Campylobacter coli</i>
• biofilms
• food safety
• polystyrene