Stress associated protein from Lobularia maritima: Heterologous expression, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities with its preservative effect against Listeria monocytogenes inoculated in beef meat.

Stress associated Protein from Lobularia maritima (LmSAP) transcripts showed up-regulation in response to wounding, Methyl-jasmonate acid, Picolinic acid, and ethephon treatments. The antioxidant activities of the purified LmSAP protein were evaluated using various in vitro and in vivo assays. LmSAP has an excellent DPPH scavenging ability and exhibits notable reducing power capacity and led to a decrease in TBARS values. The LmSAP showed an important antimicrobial activity against different pathogenic strains tested. In fact, the Inhibition Zone (IZ), Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MCB) recorded were in the range of 14-22 mm, 62-250 μg/ml and 125-250 μg/ml, respectively. The LmSAP protein successfully inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes in minced beef meat. Furthermore, the LmSAP enhanced the sensory acceptability extending the shelf life of minced beef meat. Overall, the finding demonstrates that the application of LmSAP may open new promising opportunities for the prevention of bacterial contamination, particularly L. monocytogenes, during minced beef meat storage.