Increase in temperature facilitates Campylobacter jejuni biofilm formation under both aerobic and microaerobic incubation

Diksha Pokhrel; Hudson T Thames; Hailey Fugate; Thu Dinh; Wes Schilling; Shecoya White; Reshma Ramachandran; Anuraj T Sukumaran; Li Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2024.103753

Increase in temperature facilitates Campylobacter jejuni biofilm formation under both aerobic and microaerobic incubation

Poult Sci. 2024 Apr 10;103(6):103753. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103753. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Diksha Pokhrel¹, Hudson T Thames¹, Hailey Fugate¹, Thu Dinh², Wes Schilling³, Shecoya White³, Reshma Ramachandran⁴, Anuraj T Sukumaran⁵, Li Zhang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, Mississippi State, USA.
² Tyson Foods, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
³ Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, Mississippi State, USA.
⁴ IDEXX laboratories, Westbrook, Maine, USA.
⁵ Freshpet, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁶ Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, Mississippi State, USA. Electronic address: lz245@msstate.edu.

Abstract

The formation of Campylobacter jeuni biofilms on processing surfaces is a significant concern in poultry processing, contributing to food safety risks. This study focused on assessing the biofilm forming capabilities of 12 field isolates of C. jejuni of different aerotolerance categories on stainless steel surfaces, a prevalent material in poultry processing environments. Working cultures of each isolate were prepared to approximately 6 log CFU/mL and incubated on stainless steel coupons under microaerobic or aerobic conditions at room temperature or 42°C for 72 h. Biofilm attached cells were enumerated using direct plating and biofilm density was measured using a crystal violet assay by measuring the optical density (OD₆₀₀) a. Data analysis was conducted using the PROC GLIMMIX procedure in SAS 9.4 with a significance level of 0.05. The study revealed a notable interaction between aerotolerance categories and temperature (P < 0.039) impacting the number of biofilms attached C. jejuni cells on stainless steel coupons. All isolates had significantly higher counts when incubated at 42°C compared to room temperature, regardless of oxygen level (P < 0.001). Furthermore, stronger biofilm density was observed at 42°C compared to room temperature, regardless of oxygen level. These findings underscore the influence of temperature on the biofilm forming ability of C. jejuni. The ability of these field isolates to form biofilms under various environmental conditions suggests a heightened potential for surface colonization and increased infection risk in poultry processing facilities.

Keywords: Campylobacter jejuni; biofilm; field isolates; oxygen; poultry processing; stainless steel; temperature.