The Microbe最新文献

{"title":"Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to track community outbreaks in Hong Kong","authors":"Ka Ming Wong ,&nbsp;Yan Kin Lau ,&nbsp;Chi Kai To ,&nbsp;Cheuk Nam Tsang ,&nbsp;Wai Thoe ,&nbsp;Rong Yang ,&nbsp;Ho Kwong Chui ,&nbsp;Alishir Soyunjov ,&nbsp;Xizhu Wang ,&nbsp;Kwok Wang Hung ,&nbsp;Ho Yau Lai ,&nbsp;Bin Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100662","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100662","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sewage surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 serves as an effective tool to monitor the progression of the pandemic. Although standard qPCR confirms the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage, the variant identity of SARS-CoV-2 is not addressed. We developed a cost-effective solution to track SARS-CoV-2 variants in Hong Kong, which utilizes 3rd generation amplicon sequencing and bioinformatics to process samples within 24 h from extraction to reporting. SARS-CoV-2 variants were identified in 1168 sewage samples collected from May 2022 to July 2023 that were initially tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by qPCR. The distribution of SARS-CoV-2 variants in sewage predicted and overlapped with their clinical rise and decline. The discovery of SARS-CoV-2 variants in sewage also appeared around the same time in clinical testing. Moreover, infection trends of BQ.1.1 and XBB were preceded by their surge in sewage, confirming the predictive power of wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Based on the variant data, it was expected that XBB variants continued to dominate infections till late 2023. Successful analysis of low titer samples (Ct ≥ 30) suggests the high sensitivity of our platform. The cloud-based bioinformatic pipeline is automated from raw data to report generation and accessible through our web interface. In summary, this workflow can be used to monitor infection dynamics of circulating variants and predict emerging variants. Our solution can be used in the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants and as an indicator of future outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100662"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Additive and synergistic effects of mycorrhizal inoculants and fertilizer in enhancing chard (Beta vulgaris) growth under glasshouse cultivation","authors":"Liz Koziol ,&nbsp;Thomas P. McKenna ,&nbsp;James D. Bever","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mycorrhizal fungi and fertilizers are widely used to enhance crop productivity, yet their relative contributions and the interactions of biostimulants and fertilizers remain unclear. In this study, we assessed the impact of five individual arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal strains, a fungal mixture, and fertilizer on chard (<em>Beta vulgaris</em>) growth using a fully factorial greenhouse experiment. Results showed that while fertilizer alone increased biomass by 32%, mycorrhizal inoculation alone resulted in −35% to + 43% more chard biomass, depending on the fungal species. The combination of fertilizer and inoculant increased biomass by 33–81% compared to non-fertilized controls, and by 0–36% relative to fertilized controls. Fungal responses varied: <em>Gigaspora gigantea</em> suppressed growth in the absence of fertilizer but showed synergistic benefits when paired with it. In contrast, <em>Rhizophagus irregularis</em> and the five-species fungal mixture consistently enhanced growth across nutrient conditions. Overall, the combined effects of fertilization and inoculation were largely additive. These results highlight the context-dependent nature of AM fungal benefits and suggest that certain strains can complement or be a substitute for synthetic fertilizers in sustainable cultivation systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100691"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endophytic Phyllosticta diversity in mangroves and its antimicrobial potential: Dominance of P. capitalensis","authors":"Hawa Myovela,&nbsp;Donatha Tibuhwa,&nbsp;Juma Hussein","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endophytic fungi from mangrove are promising sources of bioactive compounds. This study investigated the diversity of <em>Phyllosticta</em> species isolated from six mangrove species in Tanzania and screened their antimicrobial potential. Fifteen <em>Phyllosticta</em> isolates were obtained and identified through morphological and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis (ITS, LSU, and TEF). Thirteen isolates (87%) were identified as <em>P. capitalensis</em>, confirming its dominance. Crude ethyl acetate extracts were prepared from all isolates and screened for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (<em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> ATCC 25923, <em>Bacillus subtilis</em> ATCC 6633), Gram-negative (<em>Escherichia coli</em> ATCC 8739), and fungal (<em>Candida albicans</em> ATCC 10231) pathogens using disc diffusion and broth micro dilution assays. Five extracts (33%) showed antimicrobial activity, with <em>Sonneratia alba</em>-derived isolate HMT153 showing the strongest broad-spectrum inhibition including against <em>S. aureus</em> (MIC = 0.39 mg/mL). This study represents the first report of endophytic <em>Phyllosticta</em> diversity and antimicrobial activity in Tanzanian mangroves, identifying <em>P. capitalensis</em> as the dominant and bioactive species and <em>Sonneratia alba</em> as a promising host for antimicrobial-producing endophytic strains</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100688"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overview of waterborne protozoa in Latin American water samples, detection methods and water treatment","authors":"Natália de Melo Nasser Fava ,&nbsp;Maria Júlia Rodrigues da Cunha ,&nbsp;Lucas Ariel Totaro Garcia ,&nbsp;Paulo Marcos Faria Maciel ,&nbsp;Fernando Lindo Silva ,&nbsp;Vanessa Colombo-Corbi ,&nbsp;William John Snelling ,&nbsp;James Stephen Gerard Dooley ,&nbsp;Lyda Patricia Sabogal-Paz","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2025.100650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2025.100650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Waterborne protozoa are a public health concern worldwide, affecting mostly low- and middle-income countries. In Latin American (LA) countries, poor sanitation and inefficient water treatment increase the risk of waterborne outbreaks. In this context, this research evaluated 85 peer-reviewed papers, addressing the occurrence of waterborne protozoa in water samples in LA countries. This study aims to provide relevant information about the protozoa detected, their basic characteristics, detection methods used, and treatment techniques studied entirely within the LA background to support decision-making. According to the results, the presence of <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp., <em>Giardia</em> spp., <em>Entamoeba</em> spp., <em>Blastocystis</em> spp., <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, <em>Cyclospora</em> spp., <em>Cystoisospora</em> spp. and <em>Trichomonas</em> spp. in raw, treated and recreational water was detected. <em>Giardia</em> spp. and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp. were addressed in 70.5 % of studies, mainly in Brazil and Argentina. Among water samples assessed, raw water was the most evaluated (83.5 %), followed by treated water (42.3 %) and recreational water (4.7 %). The steps for concentrating, purifying, and detecting protozoa varied among the LA research groups; however, most of them used membrane/cartridge filtration and immunofluorescence microscopy, and the purification step was applied in only 41 % of studies. It was found that few LA research groups (11.7 %) evaluated water treatment for protozoa inactivation, in which chlorine disinfection was the most commonly reported technique. Water samples from LA countries have revealed the presence of waterborne protozoa, underscoring the need for investments in water and sanitation services, as well as improved detection methods for surveillance and control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100650"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In-vitro evaluation of IgY antibodies against Aeromonas caviae and cross-reactivity with Aeromonas hydrophila","authors":"Thushara James ,&nbsp;K.M. Mujeeb Rahiman ,&nbsp;Denoj Sebastian ,&nbsp;S. Suja Rani ,&nbsp;M.D. Dinesh","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2025.100652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2025.100652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Aeromonas caviae</em>, one of the most prevalent <em>Aeromonas</em> species, remains understudied compared to <em>Aeromonas hydrophila. A. caviae</em> is known to infect a wide range of aquatic organisms including fish, prawns, and crabs, leading to opportunistic diseases. The frequent use of antibiotics to combat these infections has resulted in the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, causing significant residue-related issues in both biotic and abiotic environments. In this study, we propose the use of IgY antibodies as an innovative solution to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Formaldehyde-inactivated <em>A. caviae</em> and <em>A. hydrophila</em> strains were administered into the breast muscles of two different groups of 22–24 week old white leghorn hens on a weekly basis. <em>A. caviae</em> and <em>A. hydrophila</em> IgY antibodies was subsequently extracted and purified from the egg yolks, yielding an average protein concentration of 5.2 mg/mL and 11.88 mg/mL respectively. Our findings demonstrate that, IgY antibodies generated against <em>A. caviae</em> inhibit the growth of <em>A. hydrophila</em> at a dilution of 1:10,000. Furthermore, IgY antibodies specific to <em>A. hydrophila</em> exhibit cross-reactivity with <em>A. caviae</em> at the same dilution. In conclusion, IgY antibodies demonstrated significant <em>in vitro</em> inhibition and cross-reactivity offering a sustainable alternative to conventional antibiotic treatments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100652"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AntiProtoZ: An assemblage of antiprotozoal peptides","authors":"Ananya Thakur ,&nbsp;Neha Periwal ,&nbsp;Lakshay Agrawal ,&nbsp;Baljeet Kaur ,&nbsp;Vikas Sood","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2025.100653","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2025.100653","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Protozoan infections cause nearly 3.5 billion cases each year and remain a major global health challenge, due to a lack of effective treatment options and rising drug resistance. Amid this, antiprotozoal peptides have emerged as a promising class of therapeutic agents; however, existing antimicrobial peptide databases lack species-specific retrieval, peptides against free-living protozoan species, and comprehensive coverage of antiprotozoal peptides. To address this gap, we developed AntiProtoZ, the first curated database exclusively focused on antiprotozoal peptides. Through extensive manual curation of literature and existing repositories, we assembled 1240 experimentally validated peptide entries, each annotated with detailed metadata, including physicochemical properties, peptide origin, chemical modifications, activity metrics, and literature references. This rich dataset contains a diverse set of peptides against both parasitic and free-living protozoan species. These comprehensive data are available at the user-friendly and accessible AntiProtoZ web server that provides sequence search options, composition-based filtering, BLAST alignment, real-time statistical visualization, and downloadable datasets in CSV files, enabling direct use in bioinformatics analyses or custom machine-learning development. These features enable researchers to compare peptides, explore sequence–activity trends, and identify candidates for therapeutic development. By focusing exclusively on protozoan targets, AntiProtoZ aims to serve as a centralized, accessible reference for researchers working in antimicrobial discovery, protozoan biology, and neglected tropical diseases. We hope that AntiProtoZ contributes to inspiring and accelerating advances in treatment strategies and the development of next-generation antiprotozoal therapeutics. The database is freely available at <span><span>http://soodlab.com/antiprotoz/</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100653"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Droplet digital PCR for growth kinetics of recombinant baculovirus expressing VP2 protein of porcine parvovirus","authors":"Tripti Pande ,&nbsp;A.K. Tiwari ,&nbsp;Sudhir Singh ,&nbsp;Neelam RT ,&nbsp;Kaushal Kishore ,&nbsp;Karuna Irungbam Devi ,&nbsp;Ajay Kumar ,&nbsp;V. Upmanyu","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100669","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100669","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The utilization of insect cells for the baculovirus expression vector system to produce recombinant viral proteins and their virus-like particles (VLPs) is becoming popular. However, the instability of recombinant baculoviruses due to prolonged passaging and their lytic nature makes the harvest time a critical parameter for protein production. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is an advanced technique for nucleic acid-based monitoring of kinetics of viruses and their related recombinant vectors. Its limited vulnerability to PCR inhibitors and irrelevance of any standard curve makes laboratories inclined towards the use of this assay. <em>Objective:</em> We applied ddPCR to determine the time at which maximum viral copies can be harvested based on our gene of interest i.e., VP2 of porcine parvovirus. We infected SF9 cells at low MOI and harvested the viral supernatant at different time intervals. A temperature gradient ddPCR was performed to optimize the annealing temperature. <em>Results:</em> ddPCR amplification revealed an increase in viral copy nos. 72 hr. post infection which peaked at 96 hr. post infection. These findings were comparable with the real-time PCR (qPCR) results, with ddPCR being 40-fold more sensitive in determining viral copy nos. The correlation between ddPCR and qPCR was found to be strong (r = 0.8648, at 95 % confidence interval). <em>Conclusion:</em> These results indicate that ddPCR assay has high sensitivity and in comparison, to real-time PCR has a lower turnaround time, although instruments/reagent availability may impact the choice of assay. We conclude that ddPCR assay has the potential for quantitative analysis of virus infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100669"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Caputo fractional-order model for Foot-And-Mouth Disease with environmental transmission and intervention strategies","authors":"Makungu James Ng’oga ,&nbsp;Jufren Zakayo Ndendya","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100672","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100672","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study develops a novel Caputo fractional-order model for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) that incorporates both direct animal-to-animal transmission and indirect environmental transmission pathways. The proposed SVEIQRB model integrates multiple intervention strategies, including vaccination, movement restriction, quarantine, biosecurity, surveillance, and culling. Using fractional-order derivatives, the model captures memory effects and hereditary properties inherent in disease dynamics, offering a more realistic representation than classical integer-order approaches. Analytical investigations establish the positivity, boundedness, and existence of unique solutions, alongside the derivation of the effective reproduction number <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>e</mi></mrow></msub></math></span>. Local stability analysis of the disease-free equilibrium and Hyers–Ulam stability of the system are rigorously proven. Numerical simulations, employing an Adams–Bashforth–Moulton predictor–corrector scheme, demonstrate that fractional-order dynamics significantly influence outbreak trajectories and intervention efficacy. Sensitivity analysis identifies environmental transmission rate, vaccine efficacy, and viral shedding as key drivers of disease spread. The findings underscore the importance of integrated control strategies, particularly high-efficacy vaccination and environmental decontamination, for effective FMD management in endemic regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100672"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of community-associated Staphylococcus aureus and evaluation of the antibacterial efficacy of Syzygium aromaticum-derived silver nanoparticles","authors":"Sima Sikdar ,&nbsp;Krishnendu Manna ,&nbsp;Aparna Shil ,&nbsp;Mausumi Sikdar (née Bhakta)","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, a common bacterium found in the nasal passages of humans, raises significant health risks due to its potential to cause severe infections and its ability to develop antibiotic resistance. This research examines <em>S. aureus</em> strains isolated from human nasal passages and assesses the antibacterial effectiveness of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against these strains. Biochemical and genotypic characterization identified the strains. PCR tests and agarose gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of <em>mecA</em>, <em>nuc</em> and <em>pvl</em> genes. Simultaneously, AgNPs were synthesized using <em>Syzygium aromaticum</em> to promote environmental sustainability. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed eugenol as the primary phytochemical in <em>S. aromaticum</em> responsible for AgNPs synthesis. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed that the synthesized AgNPs possessed a spherical morphology. <em>In vitro</em> antibacterial assays demonstrated that these AgNPs exhibited significant bactericidal activity against <em>S. aureus</em> isolates, as confirmed by agar well diffusion, MIC determination and further supported by AFM and flow cytometry. These results highlighted the antibacterial potential of green-synthesized AgNPs by showing bacterial morphological changes and cell death. In conclusion, the study highlights the potential of <em>S. aromaticum</em> mediated green synthesized AgNPs as an effective antibacterial agent against antibiotic-resistant community associated <em>S. aureus</em>. These findings support further <em>in vivo</em> investigations to validate their clinical applicability and therapeutic potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100687"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stability and antimicrobial potency against Escherichia coli O157:H7 of acidic solutions produced following anodic electro-activation of lactate, propionate and sorbate anions","authors":"James Kamen Ngotom ,&nbsp;Ismail Fliss ,&nbsp;Mohammed Aider","doi":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microb.2026.100684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this work was to study the physico-chemical and antimicrobial effectiveness against <em>Escherichia coli</em> O157:H7 ATCC 43981 of different acidic solutions produced following anodic electro-activation of lactate, propionate and sorbate anions. Electro-activation was conducted in aqueous solutions and 2 % starchy media under 250, 500, and 750 mA during 45 min, then stored under refrigerated (4 °C) or frozen (-20 °C) conditions for comparison. Analysis of the stability of pH and titratable acidity of the electro-activated solutions did not reveal any significant variation for 7 days storage. HPLC confirmed production of lactic, propionic and sorbic acids with an average concentration of 1 ± 0.15 %. The acids concentrations were electric-current intensity dependent with highest values obtained with 750 mA. Antimicrobial analysis showed that refrigerated electro-activated solutions exhibited greater effectiveness than frozen ones. Results showed that electro-activated solutions containing lactic and sorbic acids in aqueous media partly lost their antimicrobial activity after freezing, a fact confirmed by increase of their MIC/MBC from 40 %/60–60 %/80 %. In contrast, electro-activated solution containing propionic acid have maintained MIC/MBC ≤ 10 % regardless of the storage conditions. In starchy media, electro-activated solutions containing lactic and propionic acid maintained a constant MIC/MBC of 40 % under both storage conditions. The bactericidal action time of the electro-activated solutions was low and ranged from 1 min for propionic to 4 min for lactic acid containing solution, respectively. At equivalent concentrations, commercial lactic and propionic acid exerted only a bacteriostatic effect, with significantly weaker activity than electro-activated solutions. The antimicrobial effect of electro-activated solutions against <em>E. coli</em> was confirmed by CO₂ production test, alteration of membrane permeability through massive release of calcium (0.44 mg/L) and potassium ions (57.31 mg/L). Efflux of nucleic acids and proteins, measured at 260 nm and 280 nm, measured by the relative absorbance relatively to the absorbance of the initial electro-activated solution, indicated oxidative damage of cells. Live/Dead fluorescence microscopy confirmed cell death, while TEM/SEM microscopy clearly revealed structural damages (wrinkled cells, membrane lysis, and protoplasm leakage). These findings demonstrate that electro-activated solutions are highly effective and represent promising alternatives for food preservation and prevention of <em>E. coli</em> surface contamination of foods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101246,"journal":{"name":"The Microbe","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100684"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}