AUTHOR=Xue Rui , Feng Jinsong , Ma Lina , Liu Chunrong , Xian Ming , Konkel Michael E. , Wang Shuo , Lu Xiaonan 

TITLE=Whole Transcriptome Sequencing Analysis of the Synergistic Antimicrobial Effect of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles and Ajoene on Campylobacter jejuni

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02074

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.02074

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Two metal oxide (i.e., Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and TiO<sub>2</sub>) nanoparticles and ajoene, a garlic-derived organosulfur compound, were identified to be effective antimicrobials against <italic>Campylobacter jejuni</italic>, a leading cause of human gastrointestinal diseases worldwide. A significant synergistic antimicrobial effect was observed using ajoene and Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles in a combined manner to cause at least 8 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/mL reduction of <italic>C. jejuni</italic> cells. Whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and confocal micro-Raman spectroscopic analyses revealed the antimicrobial mechanism and identified the roles of ajoene and metal oxide nanoparticles in the synergistic treatment. Ajoene and metal oxide nanoparticles mediated a two-phase antimicrobial mechanism. Ajoene served as the inducing factor at the first phase that caused injury of cell membranes and increased the susceptibility of <italic>C. jejuni</italic> to stress. Metal oxide nanoparticles served as the active factor at the second phase that targeted sensitive cells and physically disrupted cell structure. This synergistic antimicrobial treatment demonstrates a potential to reduce the prevalence of <italic>C. jejuni</italic> and other pathogens on food contact surfaces and in the food chain.</p>