Potential Application of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in Food Bio-preservation – A Comprehensive Review with a Focus on the Antibacterial and Anti-Virulence Effects on Foodborne Pathogens

Foodborne diseases induced by foodborne pathogens have become a global concern, which cause massive food waste and enormous economic losses, and even impose serious threats to human health because of the production of bacterial toxins. Although synthetic chemical preservatives exhibit efficient antibacterial effects, their abuse and overuse have raised a variety of health concerns and led to an increase in drug-resistant bacteria. Recently, an increasing demand for "clean label" foods from consumers has stimulated the interest in developing novel food preservative techniques. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) is considered the most promising alternative to control bacterial growth, and subsequent bacterial toxin production and biofilm formation due to its production of a vast spectrum of antibacterial metabolites and/or competitive exclusion mechanisms. In addition, the potential application of L. plantarum to circumvent foodborne pathogenic bacteria has been exploited in varieties of food products. The aim of this review is to emphasize the significant antibacterial and anti-virulence properties of L. plantarum against foodborne pathogens and provide the most recent updates on the capacity of L. plantarum to serve as antibacterial and anti-virulence natural agent, thereby highlighting the promising potential in food bio-preservation.