Antibacterial Effect and Possible Mechanism of Salicylic Acid Microcapsules against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

Xiaoqiu Song, Rui Li, Qian Zhang, Shoukui He () and Yifei Wang ()
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Xiaoqiu Song: Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
Rui Li: Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
Qian Zhang: Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
Shoukui He: Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Yifei Wang: Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: Microcapsules serve as a feasible formulation to load phenolic substances such as salicylic acid, a natural and safe antimicrobial agent. However, the antibacterial efficacy of salicylic acid microcapsules (SAMs) remains to be elucidated. Here, salicylic acid/β-cyclodextrin inclusion microcapsules were subjected to systematic antibacterial assays and preliminary antibacterial mechanism tests using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as target organisms. It was found that the core-shell rhomboid-shaped SAMs had a smooth surface. SAMs exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 4 mg/mL against both bacteria. In the growth inhibition assay, 1/4 × MIC, 1/2 × MIC, and 1 × MIC of SAMs effectively retarded bacterial growth, and this effect was more prominent with the rise in the level of SAMs. Practically, SAMs possessed a rapid bactericidal effect at the 1 × MIC level with a reduction of more than 99.9% bacterial population within 10 min. A pronounced sterilization activity against E. coli and S. aureus was also observed when SAMs were embedded into hand sanitizers as antimicrobial agents. Moreover, exposure of both bacteria to SAMs resulted in the leakage of intracellular alkaline phosphatases and macromolecular substances (nucleic acids and proteins), which indicated the disruption of bacterial cell walls and cell membranes. In conclusion, SAMs were able to inactivate E. coli and S. aureus both in vitro and in situ , highlighting the promising utilization of this formulation for antimicrobial purposes in the area of food safety and public health.

Keywords: salicylic acid; ?-cyclodextrin; microcapsule; antibacterial activity; antibacterial mechanism; Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus aureus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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