摘要：Shigella flexneri (
Sh. flexneri), which can be found in food and the environment, is a widespread food-borne pathogen that causes human diarrhea termed “shigellosis”. In this study, eugenol, a natural active substance, was investigated for its antibacterial activity against
Sh. flexneri. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of eugenol against
Sh. flexneri ATCC 12022 was 0.5 and 0.8 mg/mL. The growth curves and inhibitory effect in LB broth, PBS, vegetable juice, and minced pork showed that eugenol had a good activity against
Sh. flexneri. Research findings indicated the superoxide dismutase activity of
Sh. flexneri was inhibited after eugenol treatment, resulting in concentrations of intracellular reactive oxygen species and an increase in malondialdehyde. The flow cytometry analysis and field emission scanning electron microscopy results revealed obvious damage to cell membrane integrity and changes in the morphology of
Sh. flexneri. In addition, the intracellular ATP concentration leaked from 0.5 μM to below 0.05 μM and the membrane potential showed a concentration-dependent depolarization after eugenol treatment. In summary, eugenol exerted strong antibacterial activity and has the potential to control
Sh. flexneri in the food industry.
关键词：Shigella flexneri;eugenol;antibacterial activity;reactive oxygen species;contaminated food media
