Journal
FOOD CONTROL
Volume 52, Issue -, Pages 54-59Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.12.012
Keywords
Sterilization; Disinfection; Gas plasma; Salmonella; Bacteria
Categories
Funding
- Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN)
- Takahashi Industrial and Economic Research Foundation
- Kieikai Research Foundation
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science [24110717, 22110514]
- Science and Technology Research Promotion Program for Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Industry
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [22110514, 24110717, 25450447] Funding Source: KAKEN
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Salmonella is one of the most important causative agents of food borne infections in terms of food hygiene. In this study, we investigated whether N-2 gas plasma, generated by applying a short high-voltage pulse to N-2 using a static induction thyristor power supply (1.5 kilo pulse per second), exhibited a bactericidal/disinfecting effect against Salmonella. Viable cell number of Salmonella was efficiently decreased with a decimal reduction time (D value) of 0.178 min (initial slope) and 3.105 min (single-slope approximation). Plasma treatment altered the surface structure of Salmonella, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. In addition, this treatment induced a marked degradation in O antigen. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis also suggested that the Salmonella genomic DNA was damaged by the plasma treatment. Reactive chemical products (hydrogen peroxide-like chemicals), ultraviolet light (UV-A) and slight temperature elevations were observed during the operation of the gas plasma device. Viable cell number versus intensity of each potential bactericidal factor were used to identify the primary mechanism of disinfection of Salmonella. Although equivalent levels of UV-A or heat treatment did not inactivate Salmonella, treatment with a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide efficiently inactivated the bacteria. Our results suggest the N-2 gas plasma generates reactive chemical species that alter components of Salmonella such as the cell surface as well as damaging the genomic DNA. The combined effect of these reactive species is to induce cell death. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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