DFNet

December 13, 2023| Food Control |

A study conducted by Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, explored the virulence properties of Vibrio cholerae isolates from shrimp supply chains and examined the antibacterial and anti-biofilm effects of rambutan peel extract (RPE) on these isolates. A total of 46 V. cholerae strains were isolated, with most carrying key virulence genes such as vasH (T6SS) (96%) and hlyA El Tor (91%). Many isolates also showed strong biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. The study demonstrated that RPE exhibited inhibitory activity against all V. cholerae isolates, with minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations ranging from 2048 to 8192 μg/ml. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that RPE caused significant morphological damage to V. cholerae cells, including cell wall degradation. Additionally, RPE reduced swimming motility, biofilm formation, and dispersed pre-formed biofilms. Downregulation of genes related to quorum sensing, motility, and biofilm formation was also observed. Furthermore, treating shrimp meat with RPE led to a marked reduction in total aerobic bacteria and Vibrio spp. within three minutes. These findings suggest that RPE has potential as an effective antibacterial and anti-biofilm agent to control V. cholerae contamination in shrimp.

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