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Efficacy of Nanobubbles Alone or in Combination with Neutral Electrolyzed Water in Removing Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria innocua Biofilms

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Abstract

Due to the relatively high tolerance and resistance to sanitizers, biofilms can persist in the environment resulting in cross-contamination. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of nanobubbles (NB) alone and in combination with neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) on different microbial biofilms including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria innocua on plastic and stainless steel (SS) coupons. NB alone completely removed V. parahaemolyticus biofilm on both plastic and SS coupons after 2 min. NB alone caused about a 1 to 3 log CFU/cm2 reduction of E. coli and L. innocua biofilms, while a complete reduction was observed only after combining NB with NEW. The antiadhesion results of NB-treated plastic and SS coupons showed lower bacterial adhesion to NB-treated surfaces indicating that NB can attach to the surface and reduce the surface tension and bacterial adhesion. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy spectra (SERS) and mapping results revealed the ability of NB to remove the bacterial biofilms. Raman spectra intensity was reduced at bands associated with carbohydrates, protein, and DNA indicating extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) disruption. This study demonstrates that NB could be a viable technology for removing microbial biofilms from surfaces and enhancing the efficacy of conventional sanitizers.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Trevor Suslow at UC Davis for providing Rif-Resistant E. coli O157:H7 strain, and Dr. Laura Strawn at Virginia Tech. for providing L. innocua strain. We acknowledge technical support from AquaOx and Moleaer Inc.

Funding

This study was partially supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch-1021077, and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech., Hampton, VA, 23669, USA

    Setareh Shiroodi, Michael H. Schwarz & Reza Ovissipour

  2. Center for Coastal Studies (Coastal@VT), Virginia Tech., Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Michael H. Schwarz & Reza Ovissipour

  3. Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Nitin Nitin

  4. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Nitin Nitin

  5. Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech., Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA

    Reza Ovissipour

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  1. Setareh Shiroodi
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Correspondence to Reza Ovissipour.

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Shiroodi, S., Schwarz, M.H., Nitin, N. et al. Efficacy of Nanobubbles Alone or in Combination with Neutral Electrolyzed Water in Removing Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria innocua Biofilms. Food Bioprocess Technol 14, 287–297 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-020-02572-0

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