Sh. Duncan et al., INHIBITORY ACTIVITY OF GUT BACTERIA AGAINST ESCHERICHIA-COLI O157 MEDIATED BY DIETARY PLANT METABOLITES, FEMS microbiology letters, 164(2), 1998, pp. 283-288
Under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, the growth of Escherichia
coli O157 strain NCTC 12900 was inhibited by the coumarins esculetin,
umbelliferone and scopoletin, but not by the coumarin glycoside escul
in. Esculin-hydrolysing bacteria from the rumen, the pig gut and the h
uman gut inhibited growth of E-coli in an overlay-plate assay in the p
resence of esculin. The combined effect of esculetin and volatile fatt
y acids was greater than the effect of either factor alone suggesting
that coumarin glycosides in the diet might reduce the growth or surviv
al of E-coli O157 in the gut. Adding esculin to incubations of mixed r
umen contents significantly reduced the survival of E-coli O157.