Inhibitory Activity of Tea Polyphenols on Biofilm Development of S hewanella putrefaciens

Abstract S hewanella putrefaciens has been identified as the main specific spoilage organism during iced storage of marine fish. In this study, the inhibitory effects of tea polyphenol ( TP ) against biofilms of S h. putrefaciens were evaluated. The addition of TP at the initial time exhibited the strongest biofilm inhibitory effect, while applying after 10 h or later did not show significant inhibitory effect. TP significantly inhibited the initial cell attachment on stainless steel in a concentration‐dependent manner. Subsequently, the biofilm mature curve and metabolic activity decreased considerably after incubation with subminimal inhibitory concentration of TP . Scanning electron micrographs confirmed visual disruption in a number of extracellular polymeric substances and alteration in dimensional structure of S h. putrefaciens . Our results indicated that S h. putrefaciens biofilms were susceptible to TP , suggesting its potential in controlling bacterial biofilms in food processing. Practical Applications Our findings provide evidence for the potential application of tea polyphenols in prolonging the shelf life of marine fish by inhibiting the biofilm development of S hewanella putrefaciens .