title: Microorganism inactivation using high-pressure generation in sealed vessels under sub-zero temperature.
abstract: In order to test the possibility of utilizing high pressure in bioscience and biotechnology, a simple method for high-pressure generation and its use for microbial inactivation have been studied. When a pressure vessel was filled with water, sealed tightly and cooled to sub-zero temperatures, high pressure was generated in the vessel. The pressure generation was 60 MPa at -5 degrees C, 103 MPa at -10 degrees C, and 140 MPa at -15 degrees C, -20 degrees C, and -22 degrees C. The high pressure generated inactivated microorganisms effectively: yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii), bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis and Eschericia coli), and fungi (Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae) were completely inactivated when stored in sealed vessels -20 degrees C for 24 h. However, Staphylococcus aureus was only partly inactivated under the same conditions. This method opens up a new application of high pressure for storing, transporting, and sterilizing of foods and biological materials.
authors.affiliation: Kyoto Prefectural Comprehensive Guidance Center for Small and Medium Enterprises, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005615:Freezing; D005628:Frozen Foods; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D011312:Pressure; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development; D013242:Sterilization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal