Biofilm-forming bacteria challenge meat preservation, compromising food safety and quality through biochemical degradation and enhanced resistance. Essential oils (EOs) show significant potential as natural antimicrobials due to broad-spectrum activity and environmental compatibility, but volatility and instability limit their applications, and Pickering emulsions can solve these issues. This review evaluates progress in essential oil-loaded Pickering emulsions for controlling meat spoilage microorganisms, addressing three key aspects: (1) emulsion design principles for EO stabilization and controlled release, focusing on particle-interface interactions; (2) antimicrobial mechanisms including bactericidal activity, biofilm disruption (electron microscopy evidence), and quorum-sensing inhibition (transcriptional studies); and (3) practical applications, particularly shelf-life extension and formulation-sensory optimizations. Integrating materials science with food preservation, this review provides a new insight into developing essential oil-loaded Pickering emulsion systems that balance the antimicrobial efficacy meat quality maintenance.

Live fish transportation is indispensable to the supply chain but transport stress (TS) diminishes ultimate flesh quality. Thus, impacts of TS on flesh quality of postmortem muscle and the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Sensory quality, oxidative injury, antioxidant enzymes activities, antioxidant enzymes gene expressions along with associated signaling molecules were evaluated. Results showed that TS could accelerate deterioration of flesh quality and enhance oxidative damage, as evidenced by elevated malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl contents, increased surface hydrophobicity, and diminished free sulfhydryl levels. Enhanced oxidative damage in TS group was partly associated with reduced antioxidant enzymatic activities (Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, Glutathione S-Transferase and Glutathione Reductase). TS triggered decreased oxidative-defense enzyme activity partly regulated by repressed transcription of the relevant antioxidant genes, an effect governed by diminished mTOR transcription and impaired Nrf2 translation. Collectively, study indicated that TS compromises flesh quality via enhancing oxidative damage and decreasing antioxidant ability through mTOR/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

This study explored the effect of electrical stimulation (ES) and Pediococcus pentosaceus LL-07 (P. pentosaceus LL-07) and Staphylococcus simulans QB7 (S. simulans QB7) on the quality and microbial community of loin ham during the ripening. After the ES and starter culture treatments, the Aw and pH were decreased. Surface hydrophobicity, myogenic fiber fragmentation index (MFI), TCA-soluble peptide, amino nitrogen and free amino acids (FAAs) were also significantly higher than the control group (CK) (P < 0.05). This increase was more significant in the E-S group (electrical stimulation followed by inoculation with P. pentosaceus LL-07 and S. simulans QB7) than the rest of the experimental group (E、S、S-E group). Furthermore, the CK and E-S groups were subjected to a bacterial community comparison experiment. The microbial diversity of these two groups was increased. Pediococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. became the dominant bacteria in E-S groups during the ripening. Correlation analyses show a strong correlation between protein hydrolysis, microorganisms and FAAs. In conclusion, the combination of ES and starter culture could promote protein hydrolysis, the accumulation of FAAS, and improves the bacterial community of loin ham.

Pseudomonas fragi (P. fragi), a predominant biofilm-forming spoilage bacterium in fresh chilled meat, causes persistent contamination and poses a significant food safety concern. However, research on its biofilms remains exploratory, and effective control measures are currently lacking. This study developed an innovative biofilm-targeted preservation system by encapsulating cinnamaldehyde (CA), the most potent essential oil component against P. fragi (MIC = 0.3125 mg/mL), within a Pickering emulsion to overcome its inherent volatility and poor aqueous solubility. Molecular docking simulations revealed stable interactions among whey protein isolate (WPI), sunflower oil, and CA, guiding rational emulsion design. The optimized emulsion (oil-water ratio 6:4) exhibited excellent physical stability (particle size: 11.30 ± 1.88 μm; zeta potential: -31.6 ± 0.82 mV), oxidation stability, and sustained-release properties, along with biosafety validated by murine acute toxicity and hemolysis assays. Crucially, while maintaining identical MIC values to free CA, the CA Pickering emulsion demonstrated significantly enhanced biofilm inhibition and eradication capabilities against P. fragi. Transcriptomic analysis revealed, for the first time, that the CA emulsion induced dysregulation of 191 bacterial genes (114 downregulated, 77 upregulated), which simultaneously suppressed signaling and metabolic pathways while inducing stress adaptation responses, thereby disrupting biofilm formation and maintenance. This work establishes a novel stabilization paradigm for essential oils and provides a theoretical foundation for developing green biofilm-targeting technologies against meat spoilage bacteria, facilitating the practical applications of CA Pickering emulsions in meat preservation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:Sapindus mukorossi has been traditionally used in China for skin whitening and acne treatment. Previous studies have confirmed the antibacterial activity of Sapindus saponins against Cutibacterium acnes, which is reportedly the primary factor causing inflamed lesions in acne vulgaris. However, the anti-acne activity in vivo and related cellular targets of Sapindus saponins are still unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY:This study aimed to investigate the anti-acne effects in vivo and the action mechanism of Sapindus mukorossi saponins fraction (SMSF) by the strategy of network pharmacology, transcriptomic analysis, and microbiome integration. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The network pharmacology analysis was used to evaluate the cellular targets of SMSF treatment on acne. The transcriptome analysis was utilized to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the 16S rDNA sequencing was employed to analyze the composition of skin microbiota. RESULTS:SMSF was proven to have no acute, continuous skin or eye irritation in New Zealand rabbits when the concentration was below 50 mg/mL. SMSF could greatly reduce the lesion degree of rabbit ear acne and significantly decrease the content of pro-inflammatory factors in the rabbit ear tissue and serum after treatment for 14 days. The contents of dihydrotestosterone and leukotriene were significantly decreased, and the structure of bacterial microbiota was regulated. The network pharmacology analysis showed that the main 79 anti-acne targets of SMSF such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 10. The transcriptomic analysis confirmed that there were 2084 DEGs between the SMSF-treated group and the model group, of which 870 were up-regulated and 1214 were down-regulated. Correlation analysis between the DEGs and the anti-acne targets predicted by network pharmacology showed that there were 6 overlapping targets, including TNF, vitamin D receptor, androgen receptor, prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma, and nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1. Moreover, SMSF achieved anti-acne activities by maintaining normal cellular protein synthesis, regulating cytokine production as well as regulating cancer-related genes and the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. CONCLUSION:SMSF exerted anti-acne activities via multiple targets and signaling pathways. This study provided a theoretical basis for the utilization of Sapindus saponins in the fields of medicine and cosmetics, and supplied a guiding significance for the development of natural anti-acne drugs.

BACKGROUND:Saponins from Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. are natural surfactants with excellent foaming ability, biodegradability, and safety. However, their applications in food have been rarely reported. The aim of this work was therefore to investigate the synergistic antibacterial roles of a combination of sapindoside A and B (SAB), which are major components of Sapindus saponins, in altering the properties and fatty acids (FAs) in the membrane of Micrococcus luteus, which has been identified as an opportunistic pathogen. RESULTS:Microscopy showed that SAB destroyed the integrity of the cell membrane and internal structures and led to the leakage of the cell content. Further analysis indicated that the ratio of saturated FAs to unsaturated FAs was increased significantly, and the membrane fluidity, permeability, and integrity changed substantially. Although sapindoside A and B exerted similar synergistic effects on fatty acid composition and membrane fluidity, sapindoside A had a greater impact on membrane permeability and integrity, consistent with density functional theory. CONCLUSION:The activity of M. luteus was inhibited more effectively by SAB than sapindoside A or B alone. It attacked cell membrane FAs, resulting in changing membrane fluidity, permeability, and integrity, eventually causing leakage of the cell contents, and ultimately cell death. This helped to provide evidence for the use of SAB as a natural antibacterial detergent additive in the food industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Active film is an emerging technology for food preservation, which can effectively control the sustained release of antioxidants. Herein, procyanidins were incorporated into gelatin films as a cross-linking agent and antioxidant to improve the physical and antioxidant properties of the gelatin films, and different amounts of & kgreen;-carrageenan were also added to increase the tortuosity of procyanidins diffusion paths (gelatin:& kgreen;-carrageenan (G:C) = 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1), resulting in a sustained release of procyanidins. The films were evaluated for their mechanical, barrier, morphological, antioxidant, and controlled release properties. The results showed that the incorporation of procyanidins improved the mechanical, moisture resistance and optical properties of the films. FTIR measurements and molecular docking confirmed the crosslinking reaction between procyanidin and gelatin/ & kgreen;-carrageenan. XRD and SEM showed that these three compounds had good compatibility. Procyanidins could improve the antioxidant activity of films. Moreover, the content of & kgreen;-carrageenan was closely related to the release of procyanidins, and the film containing 1% (w/w) gelatin, 1% (w/w) & kgreen;-carrageenan, and 2% (w/w) procyanidins (G/C1:1/P) showed the lowest total release of procyanidins in 50% and 95% ethanol simulants. Gelatin/& kgreen;-carrageenan films with procyanidins could be used as a controlled-release film for food packaging applications.

Introduction: Candida albicans was a common fungal pathogen, which usually existed on the surface of many organs and causes many diseases. In this study, anti-Candida albicans biofilm activity of Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn were evaluated.Methods: Amount of biofilm was determined by 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5carboxanilide colorimetric assays. The effect of Sapindus saponins on Candida albicans 10231 was observed by confocal laser scanning microscope, scanning electron microscope, and inverted fluorescence microscope. To further understand the antibacterial mechanism of Sapindus saponins against C. albicans biofilm, the expression levels of specific expression genes (ECE1, ALS3, and HWP1) and transcription regulation genes (NRG1) related to mycelium and adhesion were determined.Results: The results showed that 0.16 mg/mL of Sapindus saponins could inhibit early-formed biofilm (77.6%) and 0.64 mg/mL of Sapindus saponins could inhibit mature biofilm (55.7%). Further study showed that Sapindus saponins could inhibit formation of biofilm by preventing aggregation of C. albicans, destroying surface morphology, especially inhibiting transformation of mycelium. Also, 0.16 mg/mL of saponins could significantly reduce hydrophobicity and adhesiveness of surface, which would be detrimental to accumulation of biofilm on substrate surface. Further gene expression tests revealed that the Sapindus saponins could down regulate two genes involved in adhesion and hyphe growth (ALS3 and ECE1).Conclusions: Overall, Sapindus saponins showed promising antibiofilm activity, which could be considered as a possible option for the treatment of candidiasis associated with biofilm formation in the future.

Sapindus saponins extracted from Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. have been reported to exert antibacterial activity against Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes). However, there are no reports about their potentials against its biofilm, which is a major contributor to the antibiotic resistance of C. acnes. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic antibiofilm activity and action of the combination of Sapindoside A and B (SAB) against C. acnes. SAB with sub-MICs significantly inhibited the early-formed and mature biofilm of C. acnes and decreased the adhesion and cell surface hydrophobicity (p < 0.05). Also, SAB greatly reduced the production of exopolysaccharide and lipase (p < 0.05), and the binding mode of SAB and lipase was predicted by molecular docking, via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Biofilm observed with electron microscopies further confirmed the high antibiofilm activity of SAB against C. acnes. Furthermore, a significant down-regulation of biofilm biosynthesis-associated genes was observed. The combination index explained the synergistic effects of SAB leading to the above results, and the contribution of SA was greater than that of SB. The current results showed that SAB had synergistic antibiofilm activity against C. acnes, and the Sapindoside A played a major role, indicating that SAB could be a natural antiacne additive against C. acnes biofilm-associated infections.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of incorporating two concentrations of microcapsules containing Pulicaria jaubertii extract (MPJE) on the physicochemical, microstructure, and bioactivities properties of films based on chitosan (CH), gelatin (GEL), and CH50:GEL50 for possible use as active food packaging in the future. The MPJE treatment was compatible with the CH and/or GEL film without affecting chemical structures. Physico-mechanical results revealed that the CH50:GEL50 film showed optimal properties. The films blended with MPJE considerably improved in glass transition temperature and thermal stability. The films treated with MPJE presented high barrier property toward UV and visible light. Compared with that of the control films, the microstructure of the films loaded with MPJE had a rougher surface with homogeneous microcapsules, which increased with increasing MPJE concentration. Furthermore, mixing MPJE with CH and/or GEL led to the formation of high bioactive films with lower moisture content than the control films, suggesting that MPJE can be utilized to preserve lipid-rich foods.

The production of safe foods with little or no artificial preservatives is one of the foremost leading challenges for food manufacturing industries because synthetic antimicrobial agents and chemical food additives can cause severe negative effects on human health. However, there is an ever-increasing interest by consumers towards natural sources that have been aroused recently, and this increased consumer demand for safe food products has forced the food industries to use natural herbal and plant origins preservatives instead of synthetic preservatives for the production of safe foods. Traditionally, essential oils (EOs) obtained from numerous plant sources have been extensively encouraged for their putative health-promoting biological activities. The EOs are composed of complex mixtures encompassing copious individual compounds, which have been extracted by many methods. These diverse compounds display significant biological activities such as antioxidant and antimicrobial through different mechanisms. Nevertheless, their poor solubility in water, oxidation susceptibility, and volatility limit their use. To overcome these constraints, encapsulation is one of the best approaches to preserve the biological activities of EOs and minimize their effects on food sensory qualities. Herein, we have comprehensively enlightened the micro/nanoemulsion loaded with EOs to improve the physical-chemical and microbiological stability of various EOs, and further application of these EOs loaded systems in the food systems. This review confers the importance of EOs in terms of their main components, chemical and biological properties, including mode of action, effectiveness, synergistic effects as antimicrobials, and potential applications in the food system as a preservative.

Sapindus saponins are natural nonionic surfactants, and they have a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect, but few studies have elucidated the antibacterial mechanism of Sapindus saponins to date. Therefore, this study screened the antibacterial activity of Sapindus saponins singly and in combination against 7 bacteria, and investigated the synergistic antibacterial action via targeting cell membrane proteins. The only combination of Sapindoside A and B (SAB) with synergistic activity against Micrococcusluteus (M. luteus) was obtained, where the MICs of Sapindoside A and B were one fourth of their individual minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). After treatment with SAB, the spectral features of protein in the cell membrane of M. luteus showed obvious changes based on Raman spectroscopy, and the constitutions of membrane proteins were changed seriously. Besides, changes in protein microenvironment was observed, and the contribution of Sapindoside A was greater than that of Sapindoside B with concentration below 2MIC. Molecular docking also demonstrated that Sapindoside A interacted with penicillin-binding protein 2, and showed higher binding energy than Sapindoside B, further indicating that the greater contribution in the synergistic action of SAB on membrane proteins. Collectively, these results showed that the synergistic antibacterial action of Sapindoside A and B against M. luteus could be achieved by attacking cell membrane proteins, and Sapindoside A played a major role, suggesting that SAB has the potential to be the natural antibacterial detergent additive in food industry, although it is limited in its scope of antimicrobial activity against foodborne bacteria.

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of using gum arabic (GA) with different protein materials namely whey protein isolate (WP), sodium caseinate (SC), and soybean protein (SP) as wall materials to encapsulate Pulicaria jaubertii extract (PJ) using freeze-drying. Four formulations of microencapsulation of Pulicaria jaubertii extract (MPJE) were produced, including WPGA-MPJE, SCGA-MPJE, SPGA-MPJE, and GA-MPJE. The formulations were stored at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C for 28 days to assess the storage stability. The results indicated that mixtures of proteins with GA improved the physicochemical properties and bioactive content of the MPJE compared to GA-MPJE. The SCGA-MPJE formula showed optimal values of particle size (450.13 nm), polydispersity index (0.33), zeta potential (74.63 mV), encapsulation efficiency (91.07%), total phenolic content (25.51 g GAE g-1 capsules), and antioxidants compounds, as well as presented a lower release of bioactive composites with high oxidative stability during storage at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C. The microstructure of MPJE formulations showed a flat surface without any visible cracking on surfaces. The microcapsules prepared from protein mixtures with GA, especially the SCGA-MPJE formula, are the most efficient in encapsulating the plant extract derived from the PJ, which could be useful for application in various industrial fields.

The anti-tumor effects of two compounds purified from Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. (S. mukorossi.) on breast cancer in vitro were observed. Their chemical structures were identified as sesquiterpene glycosides, namely, Mukurozioside IIa and Mukurozioside IIb. The results of XTT assay indicated that their inhibition rates against three cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435s) reached approximately 80% at a concentration of 200 μg/mL, which were higher than that of cyclophosphamide (below 40% at 200 μg/mL), and their 50% inhibiting concentrations were ranged from 120.73 to 154.01 μg/mL, indicating their inhibition were weaker than their parent fraction. Furthermore, the mechanism on breast cancer was predicted, and 22 targets including PTPN1, IL2 and VEGFA were relatively important. These results illustrated the anti-breast cancer activity of S. mukorossi was related to the two compounds with the structure of sesquiterpene glycosides, but they did not represent the full activity of their parent fraction.

Sapindus saponins extracted from S. mukorossi have been reported to exert antibacterial activities against skin pathogenic bacteria, but their antibacterial mechanism is still at an exploratory stage. The objective of this study was to explore the synergistic antibacterial mechanism of the combination of two Sapindus saponins, namely Sapindoside A and B (SAB) against Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) 6919 via targeting the fatty acid compositions and membrane properties. After exposure to SAB, C. acnes cells increased the cell surface hydrophobicity and reduced the cell membrane fluidity by changing the composition of membrane fatty acids. In the fatty acid compositions, the content of two main fatty acids 12-methyl-tetradecanoic acid (isoC15:0) and octadecanoic acid (C18:0) reduced and improved respectively with the addition of SAB, and fatty acid biosynthesis-related genes were significantly down-regulated (p < 0.05). Further, molecular docking demonstrated that SAB interacted with FabD, which is an essential enzyme for bacterial type II fatty acid synthesis, via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. In the above results, the contribution of SA to SAB was greater than that of SB. In summary, the results revealed that SAB changed the fatty acid compositions of C. acnes, further disrupting the cell membrane properties, and SA played a major role, suggesting that SAB could be a natural antiacne additive against C. acnes-associated infections.

This study investigated the effect of ultrasonic treatments on the properties and stability of the water-in-oil (W/ O) emulsion of Pulicaria jaubertii (PJ) extract. The study used different ultrasound powers (0, 100, 200, 400, and 600 W) at two storage degrees (4 and 25 degrees C) for 28 days. The findings showed that the emulsifying properties were improved to different extents after ultrasonic treatments. The treatment at 600 W showed optimum particle size, polydispersity index, emulsifying property, viscosity properties, and release of total phenolic content than the other powers. However, the ultrasonic power of 400 W gave positive effects on creaming index and antioxidant release compared to 600 W. The emulsion stored at 4 degrees C presented higher stability than that stored at 25 degrees C during the 28 days of storage. Microscopically, the increase in sonication power up to 600 W reduced particle size and decreased flocculation, thus resulted in stable emulsions, which is desirable for its applications in food systems.

Artemisia arborescens, Artemisia abyssinica, Pulicaria jaubertii, and Pulicaria petiolaris are fragrant herbs traditionally used in medication and as a food seasoning. To date, there are no studies on the use of supercritical fluids extraction with carbon dioxide (SFE-CO2) on these plants. This study evaluates and compares total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity by DPPH• and ABTS•+, antibacterial, and anti-biofilm activities of SFE-CO2 extracts. Extraction was done by SFE-CO2 with 10% ethanol as a co-solvent. A. abyssinica extract had the highest extraction yield (8.9% ± 0.41). The GC/MS analysis of volatile compounds identified 307, 265, 213, and 201compounds in A. abyssinica, A. arborescens, P. jaubertii, and P. petiolaris, respectively. The P. jaubertii extract had the highest TPC (662.46 ± 50.93 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry extract), antioxidant activity (58.98% ± 0.20), and antioxidant capacity (71.78 ± 1.84 mg Trolox equivalent/g dry extract). The A. abyssinica and P. jaubertii extracts had significantly higher antimicrobial activity and were more effective against Gram-positive bacteria. B. subtilis was the most sensitive bacterium. P. aeruginosa was the most resistant bacterium. P. jaubertii extract had the optimum MIC and MBC (0.4 mg/ml) against B. subtilis. All SFE-CO2 extracts were effective as an anti-biofilm formation for all tested bacteria at 1/2 MIC. Meanwhile, P. jaubertii and P. petiolaris extracts were effective anti-biofilm for most tested bacteria at 1/16 MIC. Overall, the results indicated that the SFE-CO2 extracts of these plants are good sources of TPC, antioxidants, and antibacterial, and they have promising applications in the industrial fields.

Sapindus saponins are obtained from the outer bark of Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. (S. mukorossi), and they have become an interesting subject in the search for new anti-acne agents without resistance. This study aimed to screen the synergistic antibacterial combination from Sapindus saponins and investigated the synergistic antibacterial action via targeting the cell membrane of Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) to reduce the effective dose. The combination of Sapindoside A and B (SAB) was obtained with synergistic activity against C. acnes. SAB led to the leakage of ions and disturbed the membrane morphology of C. acnes. The spectral features of cell membrane composition showed obvious changes based on Raman spectroscopy, and changes in membrane protein microenvironment were also observed by fluorescence spectroscopy. Among the above results, the contribution of Sapindoside A was greater than that of Sapindoside B to the synergistic combination of SAB. Furthermore, molecular docking demonstrated that Sapindoside A interacted with penicillin-binding protein 2, playing an important role in peptidoglycan synthesis for the cross wall, and showed a higher binding score than Sapindoside B, further indicating that the greater contribution in the synergistic action of SAB on membrane proteins. Collectively, these results showed that the synergistic antibacterial action of SAB against C. acnes could be achieved by attacking cell membrane, and Sapindoside A played a major role, suggesting that SAB has the potential to be the natural anti-acne agent additive in the cosmetic industry.