Integrated matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry serotype-specific peak analysis and trans-cinnamic acid antimicrobial activity against Salmonella spp. from the poultry chain

Vet World Vol.19 February-2026 Article - 14

Research Article

Veterinary World, 19(2): 642-653

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2026.642-653

Nuttanit Jirapanth¹, Patamaporn Umnahanant², Kitiya Vongkamjan³, Juree Tuangrithaiwanich⁴, Sirijanya Rakmit⁴, Nawin Thongdee⁴, and Arsooth Sanguankiat⁵

1. Graduate Program in Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

2. Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

3. Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

4. Kamphaeng Saen Veterinary Diagnostic Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand.

5. 5. Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand.

Background and Aim: Salmonella spp. are major foodborne pathogens within the poultry chain and pose a substantial public health risk. Rapid and accurate serotype identification is essential for effective surveillance, outbreak investigation, and control strategies. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) provides rapid species-level identification; however, its reliability for serotype differentiation remains limited by overlapping spectral profiles and incomplete reference databases. Concurrently, rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) necessitates exploration of alternative antimicrobial agents. This study aimed to (i) evaluate the accuracy of MALDI-TOF MS for Salmonella serotype identification using specific peak analysis compared with conventional serotyping and (ii) assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of trans-cinnamic acid (TCA) against poultry-associated Salmonella isolates.

Materials and Methods: A total of 63 Salmonella isolates representing six serotypes were analyzed, including Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Kentucky, Salmonella Newjersey, Salmonella Fresno, and Salmonella Weltevreden, obtained from poultry production environments in Thailand. MALDI-TOF MS performance was evaluated against conventional serotyping using overall percentage agreement (OPA), positive percentage agreement (PPA), negative percentage agreement (NPA), and Cohen’s kappa statistic. Serotype-specific mass spectral peaks were identified through comparative analysis with reference strains. The antimicrobial activity of TCA was evaluated using broth dilution assays to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).

Results: MALDI-TOF MS showed high concordance with conventional serotyping, with OPA, PPA, and NPA values ranging from 97.3% to 100%. Cohen’s kappa values indicated substantial to perfect agreement, with minor discordance observed for S. Enteritidis (κ = 0.65). Serotype-associated peaks were consistently detected at 6,094 ± 2 mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) for S. Enteritidis, 7,156 ± 2 m/z for S. Typhimurium, and 5,370 ± 2 m/z for S. Kentucky. TCA exhibited uniform antimicrobial activity against all tested serotypes, with MIC and MBC values of 10 mM and 20 mM, respectively, and no significant differences among serotypes (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: MALDI-TOF MS combined with specific peak analysis provides a reliable and rapid approach for Salmonella serotype identification in the poultry chain, although database expansion remains necessary for uncommon serotypes. TCA demonstrated consistent inhibitory and bactericidal activity, supporting its potential role as a complementary, non-antibiotic intervention for Salmonella control and AMR mitigation in poultry production systems.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, food safety, MALDI-TOF MS, poultry chain, Salmonella, serotype identification, specific peak analysis, trans-cinnamic acid.

How to cite this article: Jirapanth N., Umnahanant P., Vongkamjan K., Tuangrithaiwanich J., Rakmit S., Thongdee N., Sanguankiat A. (2026) Integrated matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry peak analysis and antimicrobial activity of trans-cinnamic acid against Salmonella spp. from the poultry chain. Vet. World, 19(2): 642–653.

Received: 30-09-2025 Accepted: 08-01-2026 Published online: 23-02-2026

Corresponding author: Arsooth Sanguankiat E-mail: fvetass@ku.ac.th

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2026.642-653

Copyright: Jirapanth, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.