Microbial Profile of Fresh Beef Sold in the Markets of Ngaoundéré, Cameroon, and Antiadhesive Activity of a Biosurfactant against Selected Bacterial Pathogens

Abstract

Owing to its composition, meat is recognized as one of the best media for microbial growth leading to meat spoilage and food-borne illness. The ability of microorganisms to adhere to surfaces where meat is deposited during selling is a nonnegligible cause of meat contamination. This work was performed to assess the microbial profile of fresh beef sold in the markets of Ngaoundéré town and evaluate the antiadhesive activity of a biosurfactant derived from Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans N2 against selected pathogenic strains isolated in fresh beef. All fresh beef samples analysed were contaminated with both pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms at levels higher than the microbiological criteria set by the European Commission. A total of 151 strains belonging to 12 species (Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas sp., Escherichia coli 1, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Candida sp.) were isolated and identified. A specific relationship between the microbial diversity of fresh beef and the sampling sites was observed. Biosurfactant displayed antiadhesive activity against all the tested strains and the complete inhibition (100%) of Bacillus sp. BC1, S. aureus STP1, and S. xylosus STP2 was noticed at biosurfactant concentration of 10 mg/mL. This study indicates the microbial diversity of fresh beef sold in Ngaoundéré markets and suggests the potential use of biosurfactant as an antiadhesive agent in the meat industry.