Antimicrobial Effects of Hypochlorite on Escherichia coli in Water and Selected Vegetables

In this study, the antimicrobial effects of hypochlorite (HOCl) on Escherichia coli in tap water were investigated. The effects of 0.1% thyme oil and 100 mg/L HOCl on E. coli on vegetables (lettuce, parsley leafs, and red pepper) were also studied. E. coli was reduced by 2.54, 3.33, 3.93, 4.87, and 5.57 log colony forming units (cfu)/mL with 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 10, and 50 mg/mL HOCl, respectively. There was an increase of more than 30% in the inactivation of E. coli with 10 degrees C rise in temperature, a remarkable increase in antimicrobial activity at pH 5.0 was also observed with 5.62 log cfu/mL reductions in 30 sec, as well as marked neutralization of the effect in the presence of 0.1% peptone in water was noted. Biphasic kinetics in the inactivation curves of E. coli was observed. HOCl, thyme oil, and their mixture reduced the number of E. coli between 1.23 and 3.75 log cfu/mL after 5-min exposure on vegetables. The degree of E. coli inactivation depends on concentration of residual chlorine, suspending medium, type of vegetables, and the use of thyme essential oil.