Inhibition mechanism of cardamom essential oil on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilm

In recent years, studies have found that in addition to nosocomial infections, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can even cause community-associated infections, and MRSA spreads through food and animal that produce products in the community. In addition, MRSA can colonize the surface of food and food container and form biofilms by secreting extracellular polymers, leading to cross-infection. Cardamom essential oil has been found to be highly active against MRSA. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of cardamom essential oil on MRSA biofilm and its mechanism. The semi-quantitative test results of crystal violet and the removal of MRSA biofilm on different food container materials show that cardamom essential oil can effectively remove MRSA biofilm and can be applied to the surface of food container materials. Meanwhile, the inhibition mechanism of cardamom essential oil on MRSA biofilm was studied by measuring the metabolic activity, extracellular polymer content and relative expression of MRSA biofiLm formation related genes. Based on results, it is presumed that cardamom essential oil can function to scavenge MRSA biofilm by inhibiting the metabolic activity of bacteria, inhibiting the formation of extracellular polymers, and regulating the expression of genes involved in biofilm formation.