This study evaluated the antibacterial effect of the combination of ɛ-polylysine (ɛ-PL) and nisin against Enterococcus faecalis strains. The combination of ɛ-PL and nisin showed synergistic antibacterial activity against three Enterococcus strains. Scanning electron microscopy and a membrane permeability assay revealed that the combined treatment with ɛ-PL and nisin synergistically damaged the cell morphology of E. faecalis strain R612Z1 cells. Both ɛ-PL and nisin can dissipate the transmembrane electric potential of E. faecalis R612Z1 cells, but these peptides did not affect the transmembrane pH gradient. The combination of ɛ-PL and nisin can produce a high reactive oxygen species level in E. faecalis R612Z1 cells. The results indicated that the uptake of ɛ-PL into cells was promoted through nisin and that the combination of ɛ-PL and nisin could produce a high reactive oxygen species level in E. faecalis R612Z1 cells, leading to cell growth inhibition.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
December 01 2015
Synergistic Antibacterial Effect of the Combination of ɛ-Polylysine and Nisin against Enterococcus faecalis
FANG LIU;
FANG LIU
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
MEI LIU;
MEI LIU
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
2College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
LIHUI DU;
LIHUI DU
3College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210046, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
DAOYING WANG;
DAOYING WANG
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
ZHIMING GENG;
ZHIMING GENG
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
MUHAN ZHANG;
MUHAN ZHANG
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
CHONG SUN;
CHONG SUN
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
XIAOXI XU;
XIAOXI XU
*
2College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China
* Author for correspondence. Tel: +86 25 84390065; Fax: +86 25 84390065; E-mail: xiaoxi_xu01@163.com.
Search for other works by this author on:
YONGZHI ZHU;
YONGZHI ZHU
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
WEIMIN XU
WEIMIN XU
1Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, People's Republic of China
Search for other works by this author on:
J Food Prot (2015) 78 (12): 2200–2206.
Article history
Received:
May 19 2015
Accepted:
August 13 2015
Citation
FANG LIU, MEI LIU, LIHUI DU, DAOYING WANG, ZHIMING GENG, MUHAN ZHANG, CHONG SUN, XIAOXI XU, YONGZHI ZHU, WEIMIN XU; Synergistic Antibacterial Effect of the Combination of ɛ-Polylysine and Nisin against Enterococcus faecalis. J Food Prot 1 December 2015; 78 (12): 2200–2206. doi: https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-15-220
Download citation file:
