André Ricardo Peron Dos Santos, Bruna Camila Souza Lima, Gabriel José Couto, Luana de Carvalho, Lucília Rocha Magna, Matheus Henrique Nogueira, Mariana Lima Braga, Milena Matesco Carreteiro, Márcia Cristina Furlaneto, Luciana Furlaneto Maia
{"title":"Antibiofilm effect of caffeine against <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> in grape and apple fruit juices.","authors":"André Ricardo Peron Dos Santos, Bruna Camila Souza Lima, Gabriel José Couto, Luana de Carvalho, Lucília Rocha Magna, Matheus Henrique Nogueira, Mariana Lima Braga, Milena Matesco Carreteiro, Márcia Cristina Furlaneto, Luciana Furlaneto Maia","doi":"10.1080/08927014.2025.2515923","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the antibiofilm activity of caffeine against <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> within grape and apple juice matrices. Caffeine, a purine alkaloid recognized for its antimicrobial properties, was tested at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against planktonic and sessile cells. MIC values were established at 9.37 mM for <i>E. coli</i> and 37.5 mM for <i>L. monocytogenes</i>. Biofilm formation was evaluated through crystal violet staining, both when bacterial cells were exposed to caffeine during the initial stages of biofilm development (co-treatment) and after the biofilm had been established (post-treatment). The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced within the biofilms were quantitatively measured. Bacterial viability was assessed by time-kill kinetics assays and further visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Caffeine treatment significantly inhibited biofilm formation by 98.1% for <i>E. coli</i> and 98.7% for <i>L. monocytogenes</i>, and by 98.8 and 99.0%, in co-treatment and post-treatment, respectively. No consistent correlation was observed between EPS quantity and biofilm inhibition. SEM analysis confirmed caffeine-induced structural disruption of the biofilm matrix and damage to bacterial cell integrity. This investigation introduces a novel application of caffeine as an anti-biofilm agent in unpreserved fruit juice systems and demonstrates, for the first time, its efficacy against foodborne pathogens.</p>","PeriodicalId":8898,"journal":{"name":"Biofouling","volume":" ","pages":"606-618"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Biofouling","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2025.2515923","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/6/16 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study evaluated the antibiofilm activity of caffeine against Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli within grape and apple juice matrices. Caffeine, a purine alkaloid recognized for its antimicrobial properties, was tested at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against planktonic and sessile cells. MIC values were established at 9.37 mM for E. coli and 37.5 mM for L. monocytogenes. Biofilm formation was evaluated through crystal violet staining, both when bacterial cells were exposed to caffeine during the initial stages of biofilm development (co-treatment) and after the biofilm had been established (post-treatment). The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced within the biofilms were quantitatively measured. Bacterial viability was assessed by time-kill kinetics assays and further visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Caffeine treatment significantly inhibited biofilm formation by 98.1% for E. coli and 98.7% for L. monocytogenes, and by 98.8 and 99.0%, in co-treatment and post-treatment, respectively. No consistent correlation was observed between EPS quantity and biofilm inhibition. SEM analysis confirmed caffeine-induced structural disruption of the biofilm matrix and damage to bacterial cell integrity. This investigation introduces a novel application of caffeine as an anti-biofilm agent in unpreserved fruit juice systems and demonstrates, for the first time, its efficacy against foodborne pathogens.
期刊介绍:
Biofouling is an international, peer-reviewed, multi-discliplinary journal which publishes original articles and mini-reviews and provides a forum for publication of pure and applied work on protein, microbial, fungal, plant and animal fouling and its control, as well as studies of all kinds on biofilms and bioadhesion.
Papers may be based on studies relating to characterisation, attachment, growth and control on any natural (living) or man-made surface in the freshwater, marine or aerial environments, including fouling, biofilms and bioadhesion in the medical, dental, and industrial context.
Specific areas of interest include antifouling technologies and coatings including transmission of invasive species, antimicrobial agents, biological interfaces, biomaterials, microbiologically influenced corrosion, membrane biofouling, food industry biofilms, biofilm based diseases and indwelling biomedical devices as substrata for fouling and biofilm growth, including papers based on clinically-relevant work using models that mimic the realistic environment in which they are intended to be used.