title: Combined effects of high hydrostatic pressure and temperature for inactivation of Bacillus anthracis spores.
abstract: Spores of Bacillus anthracis are known to be extremely resistant to heat treatment, irradiation, desiccation, and disinfectants. To determine inactivation kinetics of spores by high pressure, B. anthracis spores of a Sterne strain-derived mutant deficient in the production of the toxin components (strain RP42) were exposed to pressures ranging from 280 to 500 MPa for 10 min to 6 h, combined with temperatures ranging from 20 to 75 degrees C. The combination of heat and pressure resulted in complete destruction of B. anthracis spores, with a D value (exposure time for 90% inactivation of the spore population) of approximately 4 min after pressurization at 500 MPa and 75 degrees C, compared to 160 min at 500 MPa and 20 degrees C and 348 min at atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa) and 75 degrees C. The use of high pressure for spore inactivation represents a considerable improvement over other available methods of spore inactivation and could be of interest for antigenic spore preparation.
authors.affiliation: Département de Toxicologie, Centre de Recherches du Service de Santé des Armées, 38702 La Tronche Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cléry-Barraud
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaubert
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vidal
mesh_terms: D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D013696:Temperature