Synthetic Plantaricins Derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KM2 Induce Cell Lysis of Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes is a deadly foodborne pathogen that presents significant challenges in food safety management due to its high resilience in various environments. This study evaluated antibacterial activities of synthetic plantaricins derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KM2 against L. monocytogenes. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the five synthetic plantaricin combinations-spPlnA, spPlnJ, spPlnE&F, spPlnE&J, and spPlnJ&K-were 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 1.6, and 1.6 μg/ml, respectively, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the synthetic plantaricins induced morphological alterations, including cell wall damage and cell lysis. Notably, spPlnE&F and spPlnE&J were shown to effectively disrupt the bacterial cell wall. Furthermore, assessments of antibacterial stability under varying temperatures and pH conditions showed that plantaricin combinations maintained their efficacy at pH levels ranging from 4 to 7 and temperatures below 40°C. These findings suggest that synthetic plantaricins have strong potential as natural preservatives in food applications, offering an effective approach to targeting specific pathogens and enhancing food safety.