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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #339378
Research Project: Ecological Reservoirs and Intervention Strategies to Reduce Foodborne Pathogens in Cattle and Swine

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: Bioactive compounds as antibiotic alternatives

Author
item Anderson, Robin
item PETRUJKIC, BRANKO - University Of Belgrade
item BOZIC, ALEZANDAR - University Of Novi Sad
item Beier, Ross
item Harvey, Roger
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The gut of food-producing animals is a reservoir for zoonotic pathogens as well as commensal bacteria expressing undesired antimicrobial resistance traits. Food producers recognize a need to continuously develop new technologies that effectively minimize contamination of foods and can be used as alternatives to antibiotics at risk from regulatory restrictions. The use of functionally bioactive plant compounds may be viewed favorably by regulatory agencies, as many of these are generally recognized as safe. Oligosaccharides commonly associated with yeast cell walls and other plant sources continue to be explored for their ability to prevent gut colonization mediated by mannose-specific binding by E. coli and Salmonella. Essential oils and their derivatives extracted from a variety of plants have been found to exhibit broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, reportedly by disrupting bacterial cell wall integrity. The antimicrobial activity of hydrolysable and condensed tannin-derived compounds against a variety of bacteria has also been demonstrated, with bacterial growth being inhibited by chelation of iron, proteins, enzymes, or amino acids. The antimicrobial activity of lupulone-rich hop extracts has been shown against amino acid-fermenting bacteria such as Campylobacter, presumably by exhibiting an ionophore-like effect. Whereas results from in vitro studies have shown good efficacy, often yielding several log-fold reductions in bacterial numbers, results from animal studies have been less conclusive, possibly due to absorption or degradation in the stomach or proximal small intestine. Clearly, more research is needed to better understand how to fully harness the biological activity of these compounds.