Radiation sensitivity of Acinetobacter spp. and their radicidation for preservation of meat at low temperature

Abstract

Acinetobacter spp. isolated from meat to gamma radiations. Seven species of Acinetobacter viz. A. lwoffii M1; A. baumannii M8; A. calcoaceticus M19; A. junii M20; A. johnsonnii M23; A. haemolyticus M27 and A. radioresistens M25 isolated from meat were exposed to gamma radiation at the dose level of 0.1 to 10 KGy. The D10 value of Acinetobacter was found highest 1.25 KGy in A. radioresistens M25, which was 4 to 8 times higher than other genospecies of Acinetobacter. Acinetobacter radioresistens M25 contains one plasmid of 45 Kb. The radicidation dose of 4 KGy gamma radiations was found to be sufficient to eliminate the natural contamination of meat and contamination by Acinetobacter. To eliminate radiation resistant Acinetobacter contamination a dose of 4 to 5 KGy was required. Development of the radicidation process for preservation of meat to eliminate Acinetobacter as contaminants at low temperature is one of the new and interesting phenomena. Attempts of finding the appropriate radicidation dose for preservation of meat at low temperature will open up new avenues for commercial preservation of meat.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmrcb.v35i2.2490Online: 11 August 2009Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2009; 35: 33-40