Adsorption of a biosurfactant on surfaces to enhance the disinfection of surfaces contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

The effects of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and peracetic acid/hydrogen peroxide (PAH) on the inactivation of adherent Listeria monocytogenes LO28 cells were examined. The surfaces tested were stainless steel and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) conditioned or not with an anionic biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens. Dilution–neutralization methods were used to assess the effectiveness of sanitizer solutions on planktonic and adherent cells. Tests were performed on L. monocytogenes cultivated at 37 °C (body temperature) or 20 °C (ambient temperature). The results demonstrated that i) a total deficiency in nutrients induced by the incubation of cells in 0.15 M NaCl favored the action of NaOCl and PAH on planktonic cells; ii) by reducing the number of cells adhering to stainless steel, pre-conditioning of the surface with the biosurfactant reduced the level of contamination of the surface and thus favored the bactericidal activities of the disinfectants; and iii) the weak binding energies involved in the adsorption of the biosurfactant on PTFE surfaces resulted in there being no reduction by the polymer of the surface contamination. Furthermore, this study confirmed that adherent cells exhibited increased resistance to the actions of the disinfectants when compared to the resistance of planktonic cells.