Efficient inhibition of Salmonella on chestnuts via Fe3C/N-C bacteriostatic suspension prepared by electrochemical method

Chestnuts are susceptible to contamination during collection and storage by Salmonella, which are one of the most important foodborne pathogens. In this paper, an efficient bacteriostatic agent of Fe3C/N-C nanomaterial with good aqueous dispersibility was prepared through the simple electrochemical synthesis strategy. The inhibitory effect of Fe3C/N-C solution on Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica was studied by inhibition zone method, and blue-fluorescent observation of living cells, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and detection of bacterial genomic DNA integration. Results showed that Fe3C/N-C could inhibit Salmonella by injuring both the surface morphology and internal genetic material of Salmonella. Chestnuts contaminated by Salmonella were treated with a 10-fold dilution of the original Fe3C/N-C suspension showed an obvious decreased number of bacteria, while a 5-fold dilution of the same suspension had no toxic to L929 cells. The results indicted a good application prospect in protecting chestnuts from contamination of Salmonella.