Comparing predicting models for the Escherichia coli inactivation by pulsed electric fields

Inactivation and sublethal injury of Salmonella Typhimurium on beef and in aqueous solution treated with lactic acid

Salmonella Typhimurium, a common foodborne pathogen, is widespread in foods. Lactic acid (LA) has been employed to control bacteria in food, while it can induce the formation of sublethally injured bacteria. The sublethal injury of LA against S. Typhimurium on beef was determined in this study, meanwhile the inactivation and sublethal injury kinetics of S. Typhimurium in aqueous solution treated with LA at different temperatures (4, 25, and 37 °C) and concentrations (1, 2, 4, and 6 mM) were also investigated and fitted. The sublethal injury was also validated by flow cytometry (FCM) and high content imaging system (HCS). LA could induce sublethally injured S. Typhimurium on beef and in aqueous solution, the injury ratios in both the cytoplasmic and outer membrane increased with increasing exposure time (0-180 min), concentration (1-6 mM) and temperature (4-37 °C). Modified Logistic and modified Weibull models fitted the inactivation kinetics well, and the parameters indicated that LA caused accumulated damage to S. Typhimurium. The inactivation and sublethal injury effects of LA on S. Typhimurium were verified by FCM and HCS analysis.

Synthesis of struvite-enriched slow-release fertilizer using magnesium-modified biochar: Desorption and leaching mechanisms

To improve the retention and slow-release abilities of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), an 82 %-purity struvite fertilizer (MAP-BC) was synthesized using magnesium-modified biochar and a solution with a 2:1 concentration ratio of NH4+ to PO43- at a pH of 8. Batch microscopic characterizations and soil column leaching experiments were conducted to study the retention and slow-release mechanisms and desorption kinetics of MAP-BC. The slow-release mechanism revealed that the dissolution rate of high-purity struvite was the dominant factor of NP slow release. The re-adsorption of NH4+ and PO43- by biochar and unconsumed MgO prolonged slow release. Mg2+ ionized by MgO could react with PO43- released from struvite to form Mg3(PO4)2. The internal biochar exhibited electrostatic attraction and pore restriction towards NH4+, while magnesium modification and nutrient loading formed a physical antioxidant barrier that ensured long-term release. The water diffusion experiment showed a higher cumulative release rate for PO43- compared to NH4+, whereas in soil column leaching, the trend was reversed, suggesting that soil's competitive adsorption facilitated the desorption of NH4+ from MAP-BC. During soil leaching, cumulative release rates of NH4+ and PO43- from chemical fertilizers were 3.55-3.62 times faster than those from MAP-BC. The dynamic test data for NH4+ and PO43- in MAP-BC fitted the Ritger-Peppas model best, predicting release periods of 163 days and 166 days, respectively. The leaching performances showed that MAP-BC reduced leaching solution volume by 5.58 % and significantly increased soil large aggregates content larger than 0.25 mm by 24.25 %. The soil nutrients retention and pH regulation by MAP-BC reduced leaching concentrations of NP. Furthermore, MAP-BC significantly enhanced plant growth, and it is more suitable as a NP source for long-term crops. Therefore, MAP-BC is expected to function as a long-term and slow-release fertilizer with the potential to minimize NP nutrient loss and replace part of quick-acting fertilizer.

Visible-light photoactivated proanthocyanidin and kappa-carrageenan coating with anti-adhesive properties against clinically relevant bacteria

The increase of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing concern worldwide and the search for new therapies could cost billions of dollars and countless lives. Inert surfaces are major sources of contamination due to easier adhesion and formation of bacterial biofilms, hindering the disinfection process. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a photoactivatable and anti-adhesive kappa-carrageenan coating using proanthocyanidin as a photosensitizer. The complete reduction (>5-log10 CFU/cm3) of culturable cells of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogens was achieved after 30 min of exposure to visible light (420 nm; 30 mW/cm2) with 5 % (w/v) of the photosensitizer. Cell membrane damage was confirmed by measuring potassium leakage, epifluorescence microscopy and bacterial motility analysis. Overall, visible light irradiation on coated solid surfaces mediated by proanthocyanidin showed no cytotoxicity and inactivated clinically important pathogens through the generation of reactive oxygen species, inhibiting bacterial initial adhesion. The developed coating is a promising alternative for a wide range of applications related to surface disinfection and food biopreservation.

Equivalent processing for pasteurization of a pineapple juice-coconut milk blend by selected nonthermal technologies

Identifying equivalent processing conditions is critical for the relevant comparison of food quality attributes. This study investigates equivalent processes for at least 5-log reduction of Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua in pineapple juice-coconut milk (PC) blends by high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), and ultrasound (US) either alone or combined with other preservation factors (pH, nisin, and/or heat). The two blends (pH 4 and 5) and coconut milk (pH 7) as a reference were subjected to HPP at 300-600 MPa, 20°C for 0.5-30 min; PEF at an electric field strength of 10-21 kV/cm, 40°C for 24 µs; and US at 120 µm amplitude, 25 or 45°C for 6 or 10 min. At least a 5-log reduction of E. coli was achieved at pH 4 by HPP at 400 MPa, 20°C for 1 min; PEF at 21 kV/cm, 235 Hz, 40°C for 24 µs; and US at 120 µm, 45°C for 6 min. As L. innocua showed greater resistance, a synergistic lethal effect was provided at pH 4 by HPP with 75 ppm nisin at 600 MPa, 20°C for 5 min; PEF with 50 ppm nisin at 18 kV/cm, 588 Hz, 40°C for 24 µs; and US at 45°C, 120 µm for 10 min. The total soluble solids (11.2-12.4°Bx), acidity (0.47%-0.51% citric acid), pH (3.91-4.16), and viscosity (3.55 × 10^-3 -4.0 × 10^-3  Pa s) were not significantly affected under the identified equivalent conditions. HPP was superior to PEF and US, achieving higher ascorbic acid retention and lower color difference in PC blend compared to the untreated sample.

Cellular events involved in E. coli cells inactivation by several agents for food preservation: A comparative study

Traditional and novel technologies for food preservation are being investigated to obtain safer products and fulfil consumer demands for less processed foods. These technologies inactivate microorganisms present in foods through their action on different cellular targets, but the final cause of cell loss of viability often remains not well characterized. The main objective of this work was to study and compare cellular events that could play a role on E. coli inactivation upon exposure to treatments with technologies of different nature. E. coli cells were exposed to heat, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), pulsed electric fields (PEF) and acid treatments, and the occurrence of several alterations, including presence of sublethal injury, membrane permeabilization, increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA damage and protein damage were studied. Results reflected differences among the relevance of the several cellular events depending on the agent applied. Sublethally injured cells appeared after all the treatments. Cells consistently recovered in a higher percentage in non-selective medium, particularly in minimal medium, as compared to selective medium; however this effect was less relevant in PEF-treated cells. Increased levels of ROS were detected inside cells after all the treatments, although their order of appearance and relationship with membrane permeabilization varied depending on the technology. A high degree of membrane permeabilization was observed in PEF treated cells, DNA damage appeared as an important target in acid treatment, and protein damage, in HHP treated cells. Results obtained help to understand the mode of action of food preservation technologies on bacterial cells.

Induction of a viable but non-culturable state in Salmonella Typhimurium is correlated with free radicals generated by thermosonication

The viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state in bacteria is gaining more and more attention around the world, mainly due to it is not only an important strategy for adaption to a stressful environment but also may possibly pose a threat to food safety and public health. It was found that a small subpopulation of Salmonella Typhimurium in pure culture was induced into a VBNC state during thermosonication (TS) processing in our previous study, though few known about the situation in real food and how bacteria were induced into that special state. Base on the speculation that free radicals generated during TS affected induction of VBNC, the relationship between them was investigated preliminarily. It was observed that higher intensity of TS treatment, such as higher power, elevated temperature and prolonged duration resulted in more viable S. Typhimurium cells in carrot juice been inducted into VBNC state. The observed results showed that VBNC incidence indexes were 1000 as TS treatments at 57-62 °C and 380 W for 6 min, and 53 °C and 380 W for 8-10 min were applied, indicating a 100% VBNC state of viable cells in those cases. The ESR spectra revealed three kinds of free radicals, including carbon centered (ethanol) radicals, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen protons were generated in carrot juice during TS processing. The intensity of free radicals was tied to the TS processing parameters and also influenced the occurrence of VBNC. A nonlinear sigmoidal curve of the intensity of free radicals VS the VBNC incidence index in three stages, including a slow phase (with free radicals intensity of 0-0.10), a rapid growth phase (with free radicals intensity ranged 0.10-0.14) and a final equilibrium phase (with free radicals intensity greater than 0.14), was observed and well fitted with the Boltzmann model. Moreover, the significance of free radicals generated during TS processing for induction of VBNC state was verified and confirmed with 0-200 mM sodium pyruvate. The obtained results may contribute to understand the complicated phenomenon and guide the application of TS as a decontamination technique.

Comparative analyses of prediction models for inactivation of Escherichia coli in carrot juice by means of pulsed electric fields

This paper reports the prediction capacity of various microbial inactivation models to prefigure the bactericidal effect using pulsed electric field (PEF) on liquid food. The aim of study was to compare the various inactivation models based on accuracy and bias factor to find out the most accurate inactivation model for Escherichia coli present in carrot juice treated with PEF. In this study, E. coli suspended in carrot juice was treated with varying pulsed electric field strength for different intervals. The obtained data were utilized for the evaluation of parameters of Bigelow, Peleg, Hülsheger and Weibull inactivation models. Furthermore, secondary models were developed for Hülsheger and Weibull to predict the microbial inactivation at any level of field strength and treatment time. The secondary model for Hülsheger exhibits 5.8% error as compared to the Weibull model having 8.5% error in prediction of death kinetics of E. coli suspended in carrot juice by means of PEF. The comparative analysis of secondary models to forecast the unknown data set unveiled the superior functioning of Hülsheger model.

High efficiency hydrodynamic bacterial electrotransformation

Synthetic biology holds great potential for addressing pressing challenges for mankind and our planet. One technical challenge in tapping into the full potential of synthetic biology is the low efficiency and low throughput of genetic transformation for many types of cells. In this paper, we discuss a novel microfluidic system for improving bacterial electrotransformation efficiency and throughput. Our microfluidic system is comprised of non-uniform constrictions in microchannels to facilitate high electric fields with relatively small applied voltages to induce electroporation. Additionally, the microfluidic device has regions of low electric field to assist in electrophoretic transport of nucleic acids into the cells. The device features hydrodynamically controlled electric fields that allow cells to experience a time dependent electric field that is otherwise difficult to achieve using standard electronics. Results suggest that transformation efficiency can be increased by ∼4×, while throughput can increase by 100-1000× compared to traditional electroporation cuvettes. This work will enable high-throughput and high efficiency genetic transformation of microbes, facilitating accelerated development of genetically engineered organisms.

Comparative Resistance of Bacterial Foodborne Pathogens to Non-thermal Technologies for Food Preservation

In this paper the resistance of bacterial foodborne pathogens to manosonication (MS), pulsed electric fields (PEFs), high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), and UV-light (UV) is reviewed and compared. The influence of different factors on the resistance of bacterial foodborne pathogens to these technologies is also compared and discussed. Only results obtained under harmonized experimental conditions have been considered. This has allowed us to establish meaningful comparisons and draw significant conclusions. Among the six microorganisms here considered, Staphyloccocus aureus is the most resistant foodborne pathogen to MS and HHP and Listeria monocytogenes to UV. The target microorganism of PEF would change depending on the treatment medium pH. Thus, L. monocytogenes is the most PEF resistant microorganism at neutral pH but Gram-negatives (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Cronobacter sakazakii, Campylobacter jejuni) would display a similar or even higher resistance at acidic pH. It should be noted that, in acidic products, the baroresistance of some E. coli strains would be comparable to that of S. aureus. The factors affecting the resistance of bacterial foodborne pathogens, as well as the magnitude of the effect, varied depending on the technology considered. Inter- and intra-specific differences in microbial resistance to PEF and HHP are much greater than to MS and UV. Similarly, both the pH and aw of the treatment medium highly condition microbial resistance to PEF and HHP but no to MS or UV. Growth phase also drastically affected bacterial HHP resistance. Regarding UV, the optical properties of the medium are, by far, the most influential factor affecting its lethal efficacy. Finally, increasing treatment temperature leads to a significant increase in lethality of the four technologies, what opens the possibility of the development of combined processes including heat. The appearance of sublethally damaged cells following PEF and HHP treatments could also be exploited in order to design combined processes. Further work would be required in order to fully elucidate the mechanisms of action of these technologies and to exhaustively characterize the influence of all the factors acting before, during, and after treatment. This would be very useful in the areas of process optimization and combined process design.

Microfluidic Screening of Electric Fields for Electroporation

Electroporation is commonly used to deliver molecules such as drugs, proteins, and/or DNA into cells, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. In this work a rapid microfluidic assay was developed to determine the critical electric field threshold required for inducing bacterial electroporation. The microfluidic device was designed to have a bilaterally converging channel to amplify the electric field to magnitudes sufficient to induce electroporation. The bacterial cells are introduced into the channel in the presence of SYTOX^®, which fluorescently labels cells with compromised membranes. Upon delivery of an electric pulse, the cells fluoresce due to transmembrane influx of SYTOX^® after disruption of the cell membranes. We calculate the critical electric field by capturing the location within the channel of the increase in fluorescence intensity after electroporation. Bacterial strains with industrial and therapeutic relevance such as Escherichia coli BL21 (3.65 ± 0.09 kV/cm), Corynebacterium glutamicum (5.20 ± 0.20 kV/cm), and Mycobacterium smegmatis (5.56 ± 0.08 kV/cm) have been successfully characterized. Determining the critical electric field for electroporation facilitates the development of electroporation protocols that minimize Joule heating and maximize cell viability. This assay will ultimately enable the genetic transformation of bacteria and archaea considered intractable and difficult-to-transfect, while facilitating fundamental genetic studies on numerous diverse microbes.

Mathematical Models Describing Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Death Due to Electroporation In Vitro

Electroporation is a phenomenon used in the treatment of tumors by electrochemotherapy, non-thermal ablation with irreversible electroporation, and gene therapy. When treating patients, either predefined or variable electrode geometry is used. Optimal pulse parameters are predetermined for predefined electrode geometry, while they must be calculated for each specific case for variable electrode geometry. The position and number of electrodes are also determined for each patient. It is currently assumed that above a certain experimentally determined value of electric field, all cells are permeabilized/destroyed and under it they are unaffected. In this paper, mathematical models of survival in which the probability of cell death is continuously distributed from 0 to 100 % are proposed and evaluated. Experiments were performed on cell suspensions using electrical parameters similar to standard electrochemotherapy and irreversible electroporation parameters. The proportion of surviving cells was determined using clonogenic assay for assessing the ability of a cell to grow into a colony. Various mathematical models (first-order kinetics, Hülsheger, Peleg-Fermi, Weibull, logistic, adapted Gompertz, Geeraerd) were fitted to experimental data using a non-linear least-squares method. The fit was evaluated by calculating goodness of fit and by observing the trend of values of models' parameters. The most appropriate models of cell survival as a function of treatment time were the adapted Gompertz and the Geeraerd models and, as a function of the electric field, the logistic, adapted Gompertz and Peleg-Fermi models. The next steps to be performed are validation of the most appropriate models on tissues and determination of the models' predictive power.

Survival and death kinetics of Salmonella strains at low relative humidity, attached to stainless steel surfaces

Salmonella is a major pathogen of concern for low water activity foods and understanding its persistence in dry food processing environments is important for producing safe food. The studies sought to assess the survival of 15 isolates of Salmonella on stainless steel surfaces. Additionally, the aim was to select a suitable model to describe and understand the strains' survival kinetics. Salmonella isolates were dried onto stainless steel surfaces, placed in controlled temperature (25°C) and humidity (33%) conditions and their viability assessed at times from 1h to 30days. The highest survival rate was associated with S. Typhimurium DT104, S. Muenchen, and S. Typhimurium (NCTC 12023), where, after 30days, the reduction ranged from 1.3log10 cfu/surface to 1.6log10 cfu/surface. The lowest survival was linked to a S. Typhimurium strain used in European Standard disinfectant approval tests and S. Typhimurium isolated from whey powder. For most of the strains, following an initial reduction in viability in the first hours (<72h), no further reduction was seen over the 30day period; therefore a 2-population Weibull model was fitted to model the survival kinetics. The overall survival was neither serotype nor time related. All strains had two different subpopulations, one more resistant to desiccation than the other. The results indicate the possibility of the long term survival of Salmonella on environmental surfaces (at least 30days) and suggest the most suitable model to describe and predict survival kinetics. The results also identify strains that may be used to study stress response mechanisms and potential factory control measures in future studies.

Predicting electroporation of cells in an inhomogeneous electric field based on mathematical modeling and experimental CHO-cell permeabilization to propidium iodide determination

High voltage electric pulses cause electroporation of the cell membrane. Consequently, flow of the molecules across the membrane increases. In our study we investigated possibility to predict the percentage of the electroporated cells in an inhomogeneous electric field on the basis of the experimental results obtained when cells were exposed to a homogeneous electric field. We compared and evaluated different mathematical models previously suggested by other authors for interpolation of the results (symmetric sigmoid, asymmetric sigmoid, hyperbolic tangent and Gompertz curve). We investigated the density of the cells and observed that it has the most significant effect on the electroporation of the cells while all four of the mathematical models yielded similar results. We were able to predict electroporation of cells exposed to an inhomogeneous electric field based on mathematical modeling and using mathematical formulations of electroporation probability obtained experimentally using exposure to the homogeneous field of the same density of cells. Models describing cell electroporation probability can be useful for development and presentation of treatment planning for electrochemotherapy and non-thermal irreversible electroporation.

Thermal inactivation kinetics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in buffalo Mozzarella curd

The use of raw milk in the processing of buffalo Mozzarella cheese is permitted, but the heat treatment used for stretching the curd must ensure that the final product does not contain pathogens such as Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) that may be present on buffalo dairy farms. This study carried out challenge tests at temperatures between 68 °C and 80 °C for 2 to 10 min to simulate curd temperatures during the stretching phase. Curd samples were inoculated with 2 STEC strains (serotypes O157 and O26), and their inactivation rates were assessed in the different challenge tests. The curd samples were digested with papain to ensure a homogeneous dispersion of bacteria. The STEC cells were counted after inoculation (range 7.1-8.7 log cfu/g) and after heat treatments using the most probable number (MPN) technique. A plot of log MPN/g versus time was created for each separate experiment. The log linear model with tail was used to provide a reasonable fit to observed data. Maximum inactivation rate (k(max), min(-1)), residual population (log MPN/g), decimal reduction time (min), and time for a 4D (4-log10) reduction (min) were estimated at each temperature tested. A 4D reduction of the O26 STEC strain was achieved when curd was heated at 68 °C for 2.6 to 6.3 min or at 80 °C for 2.1 to 2.3 min. Greater resistance was observed for the O157 strain at 68 °C because k(max) was 1.48 min(-1). The model estimates can support cheesemakers in defining appropriate process criteria needed to control possible STEC contamination in raw milk intended for the production of Mozzarella.

Inactivation of Pseudomonas putida by pulsed electric field treatment: a study on the correlation of treatment parameters and inactivation efficiency in the short-pulse range

An important issue for an economic application of the pulsed electric field treatment for bacterial decontamination of wastewater is the specific treatment energy needed for effective reduction of bacterial populations. The present experimental study performed in a field amplitude range of 40 > E > 200 kV/cm and for a suspension conductivity of 0.01 = κ(e) > 0.2 S/m focusses on the application of short pulses, 25 ns > T > 10 μs, of rectangular, bipolar and exponential shape and was made on Pseudomonas putida, which is a typical and widespread wastewater microorganism. The comparison of inactivation results with calculations of the temporal and azimuthal membrane charging dynamics using the model of Pauly and Schwan revealed that for efficient inactivation, membrane segments at the cell equator have to be charged quickly and to a sufficiently high value, on the order of 0.5 V. After fulfilling this basic condition by an appropriate choice of pulse field strength and duration, the log rate of inactivation for a given suspension conductivity of 0.2 S/m was found to be independent of the duration of individual pulses for constant treatment energy expenditure. Moreover, experimental results suggest that even pulse shape plays a minor role in inactivation efficiency. The variation of the suspension conductivity resulted in comparable inactivation performance of identical pulse parameters if the product of pulse duration and number of pulses was the same, i.e., required treatment energy can be linearly downscaled for lower conductivities, provided that pulse amplitude and duration are selected for entire membrane surface permeabilization.

Prediction of Listeria innocua survival in fully cooked chicken breast products during postpackage thermal treatment

The effectiveness of postpackage hot water thermal treatment on survival of Listeria innocua in fully cooked chicken breast products was investigated at 60, 70, 80, and 90°C. Primary models based on log-linear and Weibull models were used to fit bacterial survival curves at different temperatures. The prediction plot and fit statistics indicated that the Weibull model provided a better fit than the log-linear model and was selected as the primary model. A secondary model based on linear regression was developed to describe the effect of temperature on the kinetic parameters of Listeria innocua survival derived from the Weibull model. The root mean square error and coefficients of determination indicated a good fit of the secondary model. The models were validated by independent data from pilot plant tests, and the values of bias factor and accuracy factor fell into the acceptable range. The models developed in this study can assist poultry producers and risk managers in designing appropriate thermal treatment regimens to minimize the risk associated with Listeria in ready-to-eat poultry products.

Modelling the effect of high pressure on the inactivation kinetics of a pressure-resistant strain of Pediococcus damnosus in phosphate buffer and gilt-head seabream (Sparus aurata)

AIMS

The aim of this research was to: (i) determine the inactivation pattern of a pressure-resistant strain of Pediococcus damnosus by high hydrostatic pressure in phosphate buffer (pH 6.7) and gilt-head seabream using the linear, biphasic and Weibull models; and (ii) validate the applicability of the Weibull model to predict survival curves at other experimental pressure levels.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A pressure-resistant strain of P. damnosus was exposed to a range of pressures (500, 550, 600 and 650 MPa) in phosphate buffer (pH 6.7) and gilt-head seabream for up to 8 min at ambient temperature (23 degrees C). Inactivation kinetics were described by the linear, biphasic and Weibull models. Increasing the magnitude of the pressure applied resulted in increasing levels of inactivation. Pronounced tailing effect was observed at pressures over 600 MPa. The Weibull and biphasic models consistently produced better fit than the linear model as inferred by the values of the root mean squared error, coefficient of determination (R2) and accuracy factor (A(f)). The scale factor (b) of the Weibull model was linearly correlated with pressure (P) treatment in the whole pressure range. Substituting the b parameter in the initial Weibull function and calculating the shape factor (n) by linear interpolation, high pressure (P) was directly incorporated into the model providing reasonable predictions of the survival curves at 570 and 630 MPa. Comparison between the survival curves in phosphate buffer and gilt-head seabream showed a clear protective effect of the food matrix on the resistance of the micro-organism, especially at 500 and 550 MPa.

CONCLUSIONS

The Weibull and biphasic models were more flexible to describe the survival curves of P. damnosus in the experimental pressure range, taking also into account the tailing effect that could not be included in the linear model. The Weibull model could also give reasonable predictions of the survival curves at other experimental pressures in both pressure menstrua. As the food matrix has a protective effect in microbial inactivation, the development of accurate mathematical models should be done directly on real food to avoid under- or over-processing times.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The development of accurate models to describe the survival curves of micro-organisms under high hydrostatic pressure treatment would be very important to the food industry for process optimisation, food safety and extension of the applicability of high pressure processing.

Modelling thermal inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in sucrose solutions of various water activities

The heat resistance of Listeria monocytogenes was determined in sucrose solutions with water activity (a(w)) ranging from 0.99 to 0.90. At all temperatures investigated shape of the survival curves depended on the a(w) of the treatment medium. The survival curves for a(w)=0.99 appeared to be linear, for a(w)=0.96 were slightly upwardly concaved and for a(w)=0.93 and 0.90 were markedly concave upward. A mathematical model based on the Weibull distribution provided a good fit for all the survival curves obtained in this investigation. The effect of the temperature and a(w) on the Weibull model parameters was also studied. The shape parameter (p) depended on the a(w) of the treatment medium but in each medium of different a(w) the temperature did not have a significant effect on this parameter. The p parameter followed a linear relationship with a(w). The scale parameter (delta) decreased with the temperature following an exponential relationship and increased by decreasing the a(w) in the range from 0.99 to 0.93. However the delta parameter of survival curves obtained at a(w)=0.90 were lower than those obtained at a(w)=0.93. A mathematical model based on the Weibull parameters was built to describe the joint effect of temperature and a(w) on thermal inactivation of L. monocytogenes. This model provides a more complete information on the influence of the a(w) on the L. monocytogenes than the data initially generated. The model developed indicated that the effect of the a(w) on the thermal resistance of L. monocytogenes varied depending upon the temperature of treatment.

Effect of a previous heat shock on the thermal resistance of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at different pHs

In this work we study the effect of heat shocks of various durations up to 60 min, at different temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees C, in media of pH 4.0, 5.5 and 7.4 on the heat resistance of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The pattern of survival curves after heat treatment did not change with the application of a previous heat shock. However, the kinetics of inactivation was different for the two microorganisms studied. Whereas the inactivation of L. monocytogenes was similar to an exponential function of heating time and therefore straight survival curves were obtained, survival curves corresponding to P. aeruginosa showed convex profiles. All survival curves obtained in this investigation were fitted to Weibull-based Mafart equation: log(10)S(t)=-(t / delta)(p). The magnitude of the heat shock induced thermotolerance increased with treatment medium pH. At pH 7.4 the increase in heat tolerance depended on the duration and temperature of the heat shock. On the contrary, at pH 5.5 and pH 4.0, the heat-shock temperature did not exert any effect. The observed maximum delta values increased 2.3, 4.0 and 9.3 fold for L. monocytogenes, and 1.3, 2.1 and 8.4 fold for P. aeruginosa, at pH 4.0, 5.5 and 7.4, respectively. This research has proven that Mafart equation allows studying and quantifying the effect of heat shocks on bacterial heat resistance.

Prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli stx1, stx2, eaeA, and rfbE genes and survival of E. coli O157:H7 in manure from organic and low-input conventional dairy farms

Manure samples were collected from 16 organic (ORG) and 9 low-input conventional (LIC) Dutch dairy farms during August and September 2004 to determine the prevalence of the STEC virulence genes stx(1) (encoding Shiga toxin 1), stx(2) (encoding Shiga toxin 2), and eaeA (encoding intimin), as well as the rfbE gene, which is specific for Escherichia coli O157. The rfbE gene was present at 52% of the farms. The prevalence of rfbE was higher at ORG farms (61%) than at LIC farms (36%), but this was not significant. Relatively more LIC farms were positive for all Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) virulence genes eaeA, stx(1), and stx(2), which form a potentially highly virulent combination. Species richness of Enterobacteriaceae, as determined by DGGE, was significantly lower in manure positive for rfbE. Survival of a green fluorescent protein-expressing E. coli O157:H7 strain was studied in the manure from all farms from which samples were obtained and was modeled by a biphasic decline model. The time needed to reach the detection limit was predominantly determined by the level of native coliforms and the pH (both negative relationships). Initial decline was faster for ORG manure but leveled off earlier, resulting in longer survival than in LIC manure. Although the nonlinear decline curve could theoretically be explained as the cumulative distribution of an underlying distribution of decline kinetics, it is proposed that the observed nonlinear biphasic pattern of the survival curve is the result of changing nutrient status of the manure over time (and thereby changing competition pressure), instead of the presence of subpopulations differing in the level of resistance.

Inactivation kinetics of Yersinia enterocolitica by citric and lactic acid at different temperatures

Inactivation of Yersinia enterocolitica by citric (1--20% w/v) and lactic (0.3--4.0% v/v) acids at different temperatures (4, 20, 40 degrees C) has been investigated. Inactivation effect of citric and lactic acids was dependent on time and temperature of exposure and acid concentration. Survival curves of Y. enterocolitica suspended in citric acid solutions at 4 and 20 degrees C displayed a shoulder followed by an exponential inactivation, but at 40 degrees C a shoulder was not observed. At all temperatures investigated, survival curves of Y. enterocolitica suspended in lactic acid solutions were linear or slightly concave upwards. A mathematical model based on the Weibull distribution accurately described the kinetics of inactivation of Y. enterocolitica by both acids. The influence of the citric acid concentration on Y. enterocolitica resistance was independent of the treatment temperature. However for lactic acid, the influence of the acid concentration on microbial inactivation depended on the temperature. At any temperature investigated, lactic acid was significantly more effective than citric acid.