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Antimicrobial Efficacy of Allium cepa and Zingiber officinale Against the Milk-Borne Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes

  • Systems and Synthetic Microbiology and Bioinformatics
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Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is an important food-borne pathogen that causes listeriosis and has a high case fatality rate despite its low incidence. Medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites have been identified as potential antibacterial substances, serving as replacements for synthetic chemical compounds. The present studies emphasize two significant medicinal plants, Allium cepa and Zingiber officinale, and their efficacy against L. monocytogenes. Firstly, a bacterial isolate was obtained from milk and identified through morphology and biochemical reactions. The species of the isolate were further confirmed through 16S rRNA analysis. Furthermore, polar solvents such as methanol and ethanol were used for the extraction of secondary metabolites from A. cepa and Z. officinale. Crude phytochemical components were identified using phytochemical tests, FTIR, and GC–MS. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the crude extract and its various concentrations were tested against L. monocytogenes. Among all, A. cepa in methanolic extracts showed significant inhibitory activity. Since, the A. cepa for methanolic crude extract was used to perform autography to assess its bactericidal activity. Subsequently, molecular docking was performed to determine the specific compound inhibition. The docking results revealed that four compounds displayed strong binding affinity with the virulence factor Listeriolysin-O of L. monocytogenes. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that the medicinal plant A. cepa has potential antibacterial effects against L. monocytogenes, particularly targeting its virulence.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to the Researchers supporting project number (RSP2023R190), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, SRM Arts and Science College, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India

    Abirami Arasu, Nagaram Prabha & Durga Devi

  2. Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602105, India

    Praveen Kumar Issac

  3. Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O.2455, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Khaloud Mohammed Alarjani, Dunia A. Al Farraj & Reem A. Aljeidi

  4. Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences and Health, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, 44115, USA

    Dina S. Hussein

  5. Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602105, India

    Magesh Mohan

  6. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Jeddah, 23890, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Jehad Zuhair Tayyeb

  7. Department of Cariology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600077, India

    Ajay Guru

  8. Toxicology and Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India

    Jesu Arockiaraj

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  1. Abirami Arasu
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Contributions

AA, NP, DD, PKI: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation. KMA, DAAF, RAA, DSH: resources, MM: data curation, visualization, JZT, AG, JA: writing-original draft, supervision.

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Correspondence to Abirami Arasu, Jehad Zuhair Tayyeb, Ajay Guru or Jesu Arockiaraj.

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Arasu, A., Prabha, N., Devi, D. et al. Antimicrobial Efficacy of Allium cepa and Zingiber officinale Against the Milk-Borne Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. J Microbiol. 61, 993–1011 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-023-00086-w

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