Thermal Inactivation of Susceptible and Multiantimicrobial-Resistant Salmonella Strains Grown in the Absence or Presence of Glucose

Abstract

ABSTRACT The heat resistance of susceptible and multiantimicrobial-resistant Salmonella strains grown to stationary phase in glucose-free tryptic soy broth supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract (TSBYE−G; nonadapted), in regular (0.25% glucose) TSBYE, or in TSBYE−G with 1.00% added glucose (TSBYE+G; acid adapted) was determined at 55, 57, 59, and 61°C. Cultures were heated in sterile 0.1% buffered peptone water (50 μl) in heat-sealed capillary tubes immersed in a thermostatically controlled circulating-water bath. Decimal reduction times ( D values) were calculated from survival curves having r 2 values of >0.90 as a means of comparing thermal tolerance among variables. D 59°C values increased ( P < 0.05) from 0.50 to 0.58 to 0.66 min for TSBYE−G, TSBYE, and TSBYE+G cultures, respectively. D 61°C values of antimicrobial-susceptible Salmonella strains increased ( P < 0.05) from 0.14 to 0.19 as the glucose concentration increased from 0.00 to 1.00%, respectively, while D 61°C values of multiantimicrobial-resistant Salmonella strains did not differ ( P > 0.05) between TSBYE−G and TSBYE+G cultures. When averaged across glucose levels and temperatures, there were no differences ( P > 0.05) between the D values of susceptible and multiantimicrobial-resistant inocula. Collectively, D values ranged from 4.23 to 5.39, 1.47 to 1.81, 0.50 to 0.66, and 0.16 to 0.20 min for Salmonella strains inactivated at 55, 57, 59, and 61°C, respectively. z D values were 1.20, 1.48, and 1.49°C for Salmonella strains grown in TSBYE+G, TSBYE, and TSBYE−G, respectively, while the corresponding activation energies of inactivation were 497, 493, and 494 kJ/mol. Study results suggested a cross-protective effect of acid adaptation on thermal inactivation but no association between antimicrobial susceptibility and the ability of salmonellae to survive heat stress.