The natural antimicrobial carvacrol inhibits Campylobacter jejuni motility and infection of epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Natural compounds with anti-microbial properties are attractive reagents to reduce the use of conventional antibiotics. Carvacrol, the main constituent of oregano oil, inhibits the growth of a variety of bacterial foodborne pathogens. As concentrations of carvacrol may vary in vivo or when used in animal feed, we here investigated the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of the compound on major virulence traits of the principal bacterial foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni.

Methods/principal findings

Motility assays revealed that subinhibitory concentrations of carvacrol inhibited the motility of C. jejuni without affecting bacterial growth. Immunoblotting and electron microscopy showed that carvacrol-treated C. jejuni still expressed flagella. The loss of

SUBMITTER: van Alphen LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3458047 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature