LysP53 activity against Salmonella and its application in decontamination of Salmonella on fresh romaine lettuce

Salmonella is a zoonotic pathogen that is commonly associated with foodborne disease outbreaks. This study found that a newly identified Gram-negative lysin LysP53 had good activity against a wide range of Salmonella, including Salmonella Newington, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Dublin. Without the help of an outer membrane permeabilizer, 4 & mu;M LysP53 could reduce 97.6% of planktonic Salmonella Enteritidis and 90% of the bacteria in biofilms. Moreover, LysP53 was highly thermostable because it maintained >90% activity even after exposure to temperatures up to 95 & DEG;C. Although high concentrations of salts could reduce the activity, LysP53 was found safe for oral gavage of mice without affecting body weights and cytokines in sera and able to reduce 90% of Salmonella Enteritidis loads on fresh romaine lettuce after 30 min of treatment. Because of its good activity against a wide range of bacteria, thermal stability, safe for oral administration, LysP53 could be used as a biocontrol agent for reducing bacterial loads in fresh vegetable food.

Automated summary

Salmonella is a zoonotic pathogen commonly associated with foodborne disease outbreaks. A newly identified lysin, LysP53, was found to have good activity against various types of Salmonella, including Salmonella Newington, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Dublin. LysP53 demonstrated high thermostability and was safe for oral administration, making it a potential biocontrol agent for reducing bacterial loads in fresh vegetable food.