Anti- Mechanism of Hexanal and Its Inhibitory Effect on Biofilm Formation.

() is one of the most prevalent foodborne pathogens worldwide. Hexanal is a natural aldehyde derived from plants. In this study, the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of hexanal against were investigated. Hexanal inhibited growth with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.4 mg/mL. Hexanal (2 MIC and 4 MIC) increased the leakage of protein and lactic dehydrogenase, reduced intracellular ATP concentration, damaged membrane integrity, and induced abnormal morphology and ultrastructure. The results of colony enumeration suggested that hexanal exhibited bactericidal action against in different culture mediums and food systems (Spanish mackerel meat and shrimp paste). At 1/8 MIC and 1/4 MIC, hexanal inhibited biofilm formation of , as evidenced by crystal violet staining assay and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation. Moreover, hexanal reduced the levels of extracellular polysaccharide, extracellular protein, and cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) in . The result of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) indicated that hexanal downregulated the expression of genes critical to biofilm development. This study provides a promising alternative for control and is conducive to promoting the application of hexanal in the food field.