The Effectiveness of Bacteriocin Composites with Nanoparticles against Bacterial Food Contaminants in vitro

Esraa Fadhil  Al-Sahaf; Inam Jasim Lafta; Samah Ali  Lamburne

doi:10.30539/f8f02f35

Authors

Esraa Fadhil Al-Sahaf College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9496-3252
Inam Jasim Lafta College of Veterinary medicine ,University of Bghdad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0675-9814
Samah Ali Lamburne University of Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5000-0493

Keywords:

Bacteriocin, ZnO nanoparticles, MgO nanoparticles, green method, antibacterial activity, foodborne pathogens.

Abstract

The scientific community is currently witnessing a paradigm shift toward integrating nanotechnology with biological components to address the escalating challenges of microbial resistance. Therefore, this study intended to prepare different combinations of bacteriocin-nanocomposites with examining their antagonistic activity toward some foodborne bacteria. In this study, bacteriocin production from Lactobacillus acidophilus was optimized across different culture media, temperatures, and pH levels, followed by partial purification via gel filtration chromatography. Meanwhile, magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were created via green synthesis using the filtrate of Escherichia coli. Then, the nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, atomic force microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy to verify their structural properties. Eventually, the antibacterial activity at specific concentrations of bacteriocins, nanoparticles, and their combinations was tested in vitro by the agar well diffusion approach targeting some foodborne pathogens, including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus spp. The findings showed that the optimal settings for the bacteriocin production were achieved in the De Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) broth at pH 6.0 and temperature 37°C. Characterization of the ZnO and MgO nanoparticles revealed spherical shapes and solitary aggregations with average sizes of 62.08 and 46.43 nm, respectively. While MgO and its composite were ineffective against the tested microorganisms, the combined application of bacteriocins and ZnO nanoparticles were superior in inhibiting the bacteria causing wider inhibition zones (27, 29 , 23, and 21 mm) toward S. aureus, Bacillus spp., E. coli, and P. aeruginosa, respectively, than their use individually. It can be concluded that integration of ZnO nanoparticles with the optimized bacteriocins significantly enhances their antibacterial potential against foodborne pathogens. These in vitro findings require further safety examination in vivo before being recommended as a bright and sustainable bio-preservative system for the food industry‎‎‎.

Received: xx March 2026

Revised: xx July 2026

Accepted: xx July 2026

Published Online First: xx December 2026

Author Biographies

Esraa Fadhil Al-Sahaf , College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.

Department of Animal Production, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.

Inam Jasim Lafta, College of Veterinary medicine ,University of Bghdad

Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.

Samah Ali Lamburne , University of Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.

Department of Molecular Pathology, University of Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.

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