Antimicrobial Activity of Trans-Cinnamaldehyde Against Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of trans-cinnamaldehyde（TC） against V. parahaemolyticus. The minimum inhibitory concentration（MIC） of TC against V. parahaemolyticus was measured first. Then，the effects of TC on the bacterial growth curves，growth kinetic parameters，cell membrane integrity and cell morphology of V. parahaemolyticus were investigated. Moreover，the antimicrobial activity of TC against V. parahaemolyticus in shrimp samples was determined. The MICs of TC against 6 strains of V. parahaemolyticus were 50-70 μg/mL，TC resulted in a longer lag phase and lower growth rate of V. parahaemolyticus compared to the control. Electronic microscopy confirmed that cell membrane of V. parahaemolyticus was damaged by TC. In addition，0.4% TC reduced the pathogen in shrimps to undetectable level in 1 h. These findings suggest that TC has potential to be developed as a natural preservative to control V. parahaemolyticus in shrimp or other seafood.