The inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus by oleuropein is shown to be largely due to hydrogen peroxide production by oleuropein. The reaction is initiated by noninhibitory levels of hydrogen peroxide present as a result of tryptone oxidation in the underlying medium. Inhibition is abolished by catalase and anaerobic incubation conditions, and the effect of tryptone can be replicated by exogenous H2O2. S. aureus strains with reduced catalase activity show greater sensitivity to oleuropein. A mechanism for hydrogen peroxide production is proposed. Inhibition is not entirely due to H2O2, since some organisms with similar sensitivity to H2O2 as S. aureus were resistant to oleuropein, suggesting that there may be a cooperative effect between H2O2 and oleuropein itself.
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Research Article|
July 01 2005
Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus by Oleuropein Is Mediated by Hydrogen Peroxide
DARIO ZANICHELLI;
DARIO ZANICHELLI
School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
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TIM A. BAKER;
TIM A. BAKER
School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
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MICHAEL N. CLIFFORD;
MICHAEL N. CLIFFORD
School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
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MARTIN R. ADAMS
MARTIN R. ADAMS
*
School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
* Author for correspondence. Tel: +44 1483 686492; Fax +44 1483 300374; E-mail: m.adams@surrey.ac.uk.
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J Food Prot (2005) 68 (7): 1492–1496.
Article history
Received:
November 15 2004
Accepted:
February 13 2005
Citation
DARIO ZANICHELLI, TIM A. BAKER, MICHAEL N. CLIFFORD, MARTIN R. ADAMS; Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus by Oleuropein Is Mediated by Hydrogen Peroxide. J Food Prot 1 July 2005; 68 (7): 1492–1496. doi: https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X-68.7.1492
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