Novel biocontrol agents: Short chain fatty acids and more recently, polyhydroxyalkanoates

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a risk which has gradually become common knowledge. Steps are being actively taken to limit the use of antibiotics. The meat industry (poultry, piggery and sea food) are prone to infections. Containing these infections becomes cardinal for the meat which is ultimately meant for human consumption. Alternatives are therefore sought. Two alternatives which show promising pathogen containment are short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). SCFA are known to impart bactericidal effect apart from other benefits to the host. PHAs which have been viewed as alternatives to conventional plastic are rich sources of SCFA monomer pools. The most widely studied PHA is Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a homopolymer made of 3-Hydroxybutrate (3HB) monomers. Many studies have been conducted on both SCFA and PHA on their use as biocontrol agents to understand the physiological mechanism of action for both.