Antibacterial Activity of Neat Chitosan Powder and Flakes.

This study investigates the antibacterial activity of neat chitosan powder and flakes against three different bacterial species, Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua and Staphylococcus aureus, which are frequent causes of food spoilage. The effect of chitosan concentration and purity, as well as the influence of temperature, ionic strength (salt) and impact of a solid physical support in the medium are examined. Results show that the antibacterial activity of neat chitosan: (i) requires partial solubilisation; (ii) can be promoted by environmental factors such as adequate temperature range, ionic strength and the presence of a solid physical support that may facilitate the attachment of bacteria; (iii) depends on bacterial species, with a sensitivity order of E. coli > L. innocua > S. aureus; and (iv) increases with chitosan concentration, up to a critical point above which this effect decreases. The latter may be due to remaining proteins in chitosan acting as nutrients for bacteria therefore limiting its antibacterial activity. These results on the direct use of chitosan powder and flakes as potential antimicrobial agents for food protection at pH values lower than the chitosan pKa (6.2-6.7) are promising.

Effect of Chitosan Physical Form on Its Antibacterial Activity Against Pathogenic Bacteria.

The antibacterial activity of chitosan (CS) nanospheres, in comparison with other physical forms, was investigated against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus, which are 2 foodborne harmful pathogens. Results showed that the antibacterial efficacy of CS nanospheres: (1) was superior to that displayed by CS in powder and solution form; (2) was higher against S. aureus than against Salmonella Typhimurium; and (3) was dependent on the temperature and pH of the medium depending on the strain. For S. Typhimurium, a higher activity was displayed at 37 °C, in which 99.9% of the population was eradicated independently of the pH, followed by 20 °C and 7 °C, in which acidic pH conditions favored a higher susceptibility of bacteria to the effect of CS. On the contrary, S. aureus was less susceptible to the pH and temperature conditions of the medium, and no statistical difference in the antibacterial effect was observed for pH 5.8 and 8.0 at 20 °C and 37 °C. However, at 7 °C a slightly higher activity was displayed at pH 5.8 than at 8.0.