Abstract
Vanillin, a plant-derived antimicrobial volatile substance, has potential microbial control applications in the food industry. However, the effect of vanillin on the food-borne pathogen Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 has not been well studied. This study aims to explore the antibacterial mechanism of vanillin against E. coli O157:H7. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and antibacterial effect of vanillin were determined by microdilution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the damage of vanillin to the cell membrane, while cell membrane potential and the leakage of nucleic acid protein were measured to explore the effect of vanillin on the membrane system. Confocal laser scanning and intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration determination were utilized to investigate the effects of vanillin on the energy, life, and death of E. coli. Finally, transcriptome sequencing was conducted to investigate the gene expression differences induced by vanillin treatment. The results showed that vanillin treatment effectively controlled E. coli O157:H7 with an MIC of 2 mg/mL. After treatment, damage to the membrane system, depolarization of the membrane, and leakage of nucleic acid and protein were observed. Meanwhile, vanillin treatment caused decreased ATP content and cell death. Transcriptome analysis showed that vanillin treatment significantly affected the expression of genes involved in cell membrane formation, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycling pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation pathway in E. coli O157:H7. In conclusion, membrane damage and energy metabolism disruption are important mechanisms of vanillin's inhibitory effect on E. coli O157:H7. This study provides new insights into the molecular reaction mechanism of vanillin against E. coli O157:H7, highlighting its potential as an antibacterial substance for preventing E. coli contamination in the food industry.