Synergistic antimicrobial system based on nisin and α-hydroxy acid

Abstract Synergistic antimicrobial is a promising way to overcome microbial contamination in food and drugs. In the study, the synergistic effect between nisin and each α-hydroxy acid on E. coli and S. aureus was investigated. The experimental results showed that the combined antibacterial ability of nisin-citric acid system was the most prominent. The FCI index also indicated that the combination of nisin and citric acid had synergistic effects on E. coli. When nisin was combined with citric acid, the inhibition rates of E. coli and S. aureus were increased to 4.43 and 1.49 times, respectively. Nisin-citric acid complex system could effectively slow down the proliferation of S. aureus and E. coli at lower concentrations, and can quickly destroy the cell membrane after 4 hours of action. Therefore, the combination of nisin and citric acid is expected to be a potential solution for food and drug preservation.