"Phoenix phenomenon" in the growth of Clostridium perfringens

Abstract

The "Phoenix phenomenon" was observed with Clostridium perfringens Hobbs' serological type 9 (HT9) in a cooked-meat medium at 81.7 degrees C by a decrease in plate count (phase I), followed by an increase in count to the intiial level (phase II) and a continued increase above the initial count (phase III). The effects of sporulation, age of inoculum, assay medium, anaerobiosis, diluent, and growth inhibitor were studied. This phenomenon was reproduced in experiments with sporulation-negative mutants derived from HT9 inocula of various cell ages, and different assay media (sulfite-iron agar, tryptose-soytone-yeast extract agar, prereduced peptone-yeast extract agar, prereduced veal agar, and veal agar). When strict anaerobic conditions were employed, it was necessary to increase the heating temperature to 52.3 degrees C to observe the phenomenon. The phenomenon was eliminated at 52.3 degrees C when a combination of strict anaerobic conditions, prereduced media, and prereduced veal diluent was employed. The addition of nalidixic acid at the minimum point of the growth curve (end of phase I) had no effect on the appearance of phase II; however, phase III was completely inhibited. This indicated that phases I and II were an injury-recovery process.