title: Inhibitory effects of enterococci on the production of hydrogen sulfide by hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria in raw meat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Applying competitive exclusion micro-organisms to control hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas produced by hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria (SPB) in chicken meat.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five SPB strains, isolated from animal by-products, were used for screening lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that can inhibit the production of H₂S by SPB in trypticase soy broth supplemented with L-cysteine (TSB-L-cys). A sensitive and accurate test strip method was developed for H₂S determination in real time. One LAB strain, isolate L86, from cheese whey, demonstrated the highest inhibitory activity against the production of H₂S by SPB. The isolate L86 was confirmed as Enterococcus faecium that does not possess genes encoding for vancomycin resistance based on PCR analysis. Enterococcus faecium strain L86 reduced (P < 0·05) the yield of H₂S upto 51·2% in 10 h at 35°C in TSB-L-cys medium. In fresh chicken meat, the yield of H₂S produced by the artificially inoculated SPB was reduced (P < 0·05) by 48·6, 49·7 and 69·8% in 10 h at 35, 30 and 25°C, respectively. Enterococcus faecium strain L86 also reduced (P < 0·05) by 53·8% on the yield of H₂S produced by the indigenous SPB in partially spoiled chicken meat at 35°C for 10 h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enterococcus faecium strain L86 is effective on inhibiting the production of H₂S by SPB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of this biological agent to raw animal by-products will provide a safer working environment in rendering processing plants and produce higher-quality rendered products.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. xiuping@clemson.edu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003545:Cysteine; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000382:microbiology; D016984:Enterococcus faecium; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D009812:Odorants; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
chemical_list: D003545:Cysteine; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide