title: Effects of organic acids on thermal inactivation of acid and cold stressed Enterococcus faecium.
abstract: In this study the adaptative response to heat (70 degrees C) of Enterococcus faecium using fresh and refrigerated (at 4 degrees C for up to 1 month) stationary phase cells grown in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) buffered at pH 7.4 (non-acid-adapted cells) and acidified BHI at pH values of 6.4 and 5.4 with acetic, ascorbic, citric, lactic, malic and hydrochloric acids (acid-adapted cells) was evaluated. In all cases, the survival curves obtained were concave upward. A mathematical model based on the Weibull distribution accurately described the inactivation kinetic. The results indicate that previous adaptation to a low pH increased the bacterial heat resistance, whereas the subsequent cold storage of cells reduced E. faecium thermal tolerance. Fresh acid-adapted cells showed t(2.5)-values (time needed to obtain an inactivation level of 2.5 log10 cycles) ranging from 2.57 to 9.51 min, while non-acid-adapted cells showed t(2.5)-values of 1.92 min. The extent of increased heat tolerance varied with the acid examined, resulting in the following order: citric > or = acetic > malic > or = lactic > hydrochloric > or = ascorbic. In contrast, cold storage progressively decreased E. faecium thermal resistance. The t(2.5) values found at the end of the period studied were about 2-3-fold lower than those corresponding to non-refrigerated cells, although this decrease was more marked (about 5-fold) when cells were grown in buffered BHI and BHI acidified at pH 5.4 with hydrochloric acid. These findings highlight the need for a better understanding of microbial response to various preservation stresses in order to increase the efficiency of thermal processes and to indicate the convenience of counterbalancing the benefits of the hurdle concept.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Higiene y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Avelino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Ordóñez
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bernardo
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D000143:Acids