Enhanced antimicrobial activity of nisin in combination with allyl isothiocyanate against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium and Shigella boydii

This study was designed to evaluate the synergistic antimicrobial effect of nisin and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium and Shigella boydii. The synergistic interactions between nisin and AITC were observed against all foodborne pathogens, showing the fractional inhibitory concentrations <1. The populations of L. monocytogenes and S. aureus at the combined treatment of nisin and AITC were decreased to below 1 log CFU mL-1 after 10-h incubation at 37 degrees C. The changes in fatty acid profiles of all strains were substantially influenced by nisin alone and the combined treatment of nisin and AITC. A good agreement was observed among cell viability, membrane permeability and depolarisation activity in response to nisin and AITC. The results suggest that nisin and AITC as synergistic inhibitors could be an effective approach to achieve satisfactory antimicrobial activity against a wide range of foodborne pathogens.