Seiji Noma

Barotolerance of Staphylococcus aureus is increased by incubation at below 0 °C prior to hydrostatic pressure treatment

Abstract The effect of preincubation under low temperatures on inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus IFO 13276 by hydrostatic pressure treatment (HPT) was investigated. Preincubation before HPT was carried out by submerging cell suspension in an ethylene glycol bath at temperatures from 30 to −20 °C for 15 min. After HPT at the same temperatures, survivors of incubated S. aureus was not significantly (P>0.05) influenced when preincubation took place at temperatures above 0 °C. Survivors of incubated S. aureus, however, were approximately two log cycles higher when preincubation took place at temperatures below 0 °C. This increase in barotolerance of S. aureus was not observed in the presence of 40 μg/ml of chloramphenicol.

Effect of filtration of bacterial suspensions on the inactivation ratio in hydrostatic pressure treatment

The effects of filtration on the inactivation of vegetative cell suspensions (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium) and spore suspensions (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis) by hydrostatic pressure treatment were investigated. There was no significant difference in the inactivation ratios between the filtrated and unfiltrated vegetative cell suspensions. However, filtrated spore suspensions were inactivated more easily than the unfiltrated ones. B. subtilis spores filtrated were sterilized (6-log-cycles) in a 90 min treatment, but the unfiltrated spores were inactivated 5-log-cycles in a 180 min treatment. B. licheniformis spores filtrated were inactivated approximately 4-log-cycles, but the unfiltrated spores were inactivated approximately 3-log-cycles in a 180 min treatment. These results indicated that the filtration of spore suspensions was effective to increase the inactivation ratio by the hydrostatic pressure treatment. However, filtration did not contribute to increasing the inactivation ratio of vegetative cell suspensions.

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatment on the flavor and color of grated ginger.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was applied to grated ginger in order to inactivate quality-degrading enzymes in a non-thermal manner. The effects of HHP treatment on the flavor and the color of the grated ginger were investigated just after treatment and during storage. After HHP treatment (400 MPa, 5 min), geraniol dehydrogenase (GeDH) was inactivated to less than 5%, but the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was reduced only to 37%. Heat treatment (100 °C, 10 min) inactivated GeDH to 43% and PPO to about 10%. In storage, the reduction of geranial, neral, and citronellal to the corresponding alcohols was observed in the untreated and the heat-treated ginger, while it was not in the HHP-treated grated ginger. In the HHP-treated sample, terpene aldehydes almost disappeared without the formation of the corresponding alcohols. Browning was not observed immediately after HHP treatment, while it was complete in the heat-treated sample. The color change during storage appeared to reflect the residual activity of PPO.

The Effect of Low-Pressure Carbonation on the Heat Inactivation of Escherichia coli

The heat inactivating effect of low-pressure carbonation (LPC) at 1 MPa against Escherichia coli was enhanced to 3.5log orders. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of this increase in heat inactivation efficiency. The increased inactivation ratio was found to be the result of LPC-induced heat sensitization. This sensitization was not due to any physical damage to the cells as a result of the treatment. Following the depletion of intracellular ATP, the failure of the cells to discard protons caused an abnormal decrease in the intracellular pH. However, in the presence of glucose, the inactivation ratio decreased. In addition, a further increase in inactivation of more than 2log orders occurred in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor chloramphenicol. Hence, the decreased heat resistance of E. coli under LPC was most likely due to a depletion of intracellular ATP and a decreased capacity for protein synthesis.

Combined effects of carbonation with heating and fatty acid esters on inactivation and growth inhibition of various Bacillus spores

The effects of carbonation treatment (1 to 5 MPa, 30 min) plus heat treatment (30 to 80°C, 30 min) in the presence of various fatty acid esters (FAEs; 0.05 and 0.1%, wt/vol) on counts of viable Bacillus subtilis spores were investigated. FAEs or carbonation alone had no inactivation or growth inhibition effects on B. subtilis spores. However, carbonation plus heat (CH; 80°C, 5 MPa, 30 min) in the presence of mono- and diglycerol fatty acid esters markedly decreased counts of viable spores, and the spore counts did not change during storage for 30 days. The greatest decrease in viable spore counts occurred in the presence of monoglycerol fatty acid esters. Under CH conditions, inactivation and/or growth inhibition occurred at only 80°C and increased with increasing pressure. The greatest decrease in spore counts (more than 4 log units) occurred with CH (80°C, 5 MPa, 30 min) in the presence of monoglycerol fatty acid esters. However, this treatment was less effective against Bacillus coagulans and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores.