This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wells, J. E. Articles by Varel, V. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wells, J. E. Articles by Varel, V. H. Agricola Articles by Wells, J. E. Articles by Varel, V. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, December 2005, p. 7974-7979, Vol. 71, No. 12
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.12.7974-7979.2005

Effects of Common Forage Phenolic Acids on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Viability in Bovine Feces

J. E. Wells,^* E. D. Berry, and V. H. Varel

USDA-ARS, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska

Received 5 May 2005/ Accepted 27 August 2005

Ruminant animals are carriers of Escherichia coli O157:H7, and the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 from cattle to the environment and to humans is a concern. It is unclear if diet can influence the survivability of E. coli O157:H7 in the gastrointestinal system or in feces in the environment. Feces from cattle fed bromegrass hay or corn silage diets were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, and the survival of this pathogen was analyzed. When animals consumed bromegrass hay for <1 month, viable E. coli O157:H7 was not recovered after 28 days postinoculation, but when animals consumed the diet for >1 month, E. coli O157:H7 cells were recovered for >120 days. Viable E. coli O157:H7 cells in feces from animals fed corn silage were detected until day 45 and differed little with the time on the diet. To determine if forage phenolic acids affected the viability of E. coli O157:H7, feces from animals fed corn silage or cracked corn were amended with common forage phenolic acids. When 0.5% trans-cinnamic acid or 0.5% para-coumaric acid was added to feces from silage-fed animals, the E. coli O157:H7 death rate was increased significantly (17-fold and 23-fold, respectively) compared to that with no addition. In feces from animals fed cracked corn, E. coli O157:H7 death rates were increased significantly with the addition of 0.1% and 0.5% trans-cinnamic acid (7- and 13-fold), 0.1% and 0.5% p-coumaric acid (3- and 8-fold), and 0.5% ferulic acid (3-fold). These data suggest that phenolic acids common to forage plants can decrease viable counts of E. coli O157:H7 shed in feces.

---

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, P.O. Box 166, Clay Center, NE 68933. Phone: (402) 762-4174. Fax: (402) 762-4209. E-mail: wells{at}email.marc.usda.gov.

---

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, December 2005, p. 7974-7979, Vol. 71, No. 12
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.12.7974-7979.2005

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Berard, N. C., Holley, R. A., McAllister, T. A., Ominski, K. H., Wittenberg, K. M., Bouchard, K. S., Bouchard, J. J., Krause, D. O. (2009). Potential To Reduce Escherichia coli Shedding in Cattle Feces by Using Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) Forage, Tested In Vitro and In Vivo. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 1074-1079 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chalabaev, S., Turlin, E., Bay, S., Ganneau, C., Brito-Fravallo, E., Charles, J.-F., Danchin, A., Biville, F. (2008). Cinnamic Acid, an Autoinducer of Its Own Biosynthesis, Is Processed via Hca Enzymes in Photorhabdus luminescens. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 1717-1725 [Abstract] [Full Text]