The antibacterial mechanisms of cuminaldehyde (p-Isopropylbenzaldehyde, CUM) against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 (S. aureus) were investigated from the aspects of membrane damage, and interaction with genomic DNA. The results demonstrated that the MIC of CUM against S. aureus was 0.8 μL/mL. Approximately 6 log CFU/mL of S. aureus could be killed after treatment with MIC of CUM after 8 h. Additionally, CUM increased the permeability of the cell membrane by inducing visible changes in cell morphology. The results of gel electrophoresis, spectroscopic analysis, and molecule docking indicated that CUM could bind to DNA through groove mode and change the secondary structure of DNA, and ultimately lead to the inactivation of cells. Compared with untreated samples, application of CUM (2 or 4 MIC) on sauced beef caused an obvious decrease in S. aureus counts and effectively inhibited the growth of S. aureus. Moreover, CUM at a concentration of 2 MIC had no significant effect on the taste and aroma score of sauced beef. Therefore, CUM could play a dual antibacterial effect by influencing cell membrane and genomic DNA, and controlling the growth of S. aureus in the food industry.

从膜损伤、与基因组DNA的相互作用等方面研究了孜然醛（对异丙基苯甲醛，CUM）对金黄色葡萄球菌ATCC 6538（S. aureus）的抗菌机制。结果表明，CUM 对金黄色葡萄球菌的 MIC为 0.8 μL/mL。大约 6 log CFU/mL 的金黄色葡萄球菌8小时后用CUM的MIC处理后可杀死。此外，CUM 通过诱导细胞形态的可见变化来增加细胞膜的通透性。凝胶电泳、光谱分析和分子对接的结果表明，CUM可以通过凹槽模式与DNA结合，改变DNA的二级结构，最终导致细胞失活。与未经处理的样品相比，在酱牛肉上施用CUM（2或4 MIC）导致金黄色葡萄球菌数量明显减少，并有效抑制了金黄色葡萄球菌的生长. 此外，浓度为 2 MIC 的 CUM 对酱牛肉的味道和香气评分没有显着影响。因此，CUM在食品工业中可以通过影响细胞膜和基因组DNA、控制金黄色葡萄球菌的生长发挥双重抗菌作用。