A Meta-Analysis on the In Vitro Antagonistic Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Dairy Products on Foodborne Pathogens

dairy biopreservation
lactic acid bacteria
meta-analysis
foodborne pathogens
Author

Yara Loforte, Nathália Fernandes, André Martinho de Almeida, Vasco Cadavez & Ursula Gonzales-Barron

Doi

10.3390/foods14060907

Citation (APA 7)

Loforte, Y., Fernandes, N., de Almeida, A. M., Cadavez, V., & Gonzales-Barron, U. (2025). A Meta-Analysis on the In Vitro Antagonistic Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Dairy Products on Foodborne Pathogens. Foods, 14, 907. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14060907

Abstract

Raw milk and traditional fermented foods such as artisanal cheese represent a natural source of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These LAB produce antimicrobial compounds—such as bacteriocins and organic acids—that can be exploited in dairy biopreservation. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the inhibition diameter (ID) of LAB against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. Electronic searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science retrieved 1665 articles, from which 20 primary studies (yielding 397 observations) were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria. Random-effects meta-regression models were employed to evaluate the effects of LAB genus, pathogen concentration, susceptibility assay, incubation time, inoculation volume, agar type, and pH on the inhibition diameters. Results indicated that L. monocytogenes was the most susceptible pathogen, followed by S. aureus and Salmonella spp. Moreover, LAB from the Lacticaseibacillus genus were most effective in inhibiting L. monocytogenes (21.49 ± 2.65 mm), while Salmonella spp. showed higher susceptibility to the Lactobacillus genus (19.93 ± 2.46 mm). The well-diffusion method produced significantly larger inhibition zones compared to spot and disk-diffusion methods. Among the moderators tested, pathogen inoculum concentration, susceptibility assay, incubation time, and inoculation volume emerged as key factors in designing reproducible antimicrobial assays. These in vitro findings support the potential use of LAB as natural biopreservatives in the dairy industry.