In vitro antibacterial activities and mechanism of sugar fatty acid esters against five food-related bacteria

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activities of sugar fatty acid esters, with different fatty acid and saccharide moieties, against five food-related bacteria including Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Sucrose monocaprate showed the strongest antibacterial activity against all tested bacteria, especially Gram-positive bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria were 2.5 and 10 mM, respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) for Gram-positive bacteria were 10 mM. Time-kill assay also showed that sucrose monocaprate significantly inhibit the growth of tested bacteria. The permeability of the cell membrane and intracellular proteins were both changed by sucrose monocaprate according to cell constituents' leakage, SDS-PAGE and scanning electron microscope assays. It is suggested that sucrose monocaprate, with both emulsifying and antibacterial activities, have a potential to serve as a safe multifunctional food additive in food industries.