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Related Experiment Videos

Weak-acid preservatives: modelling microbial inhibition and response.

R J Lambert1, M Stratford

  • 1Microbiology Section, Unilever Research, Sharnbrook, Bedford, UK. RONNIE.LAMBERT@UNILEVER.COM

Journal of Applied Microbiology
|February 25, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Weak-acid preservatives inhibit microbial growth by accumulating inside cells. Yeast can actively pump protons to maintain internal pH, influencing preservative effectiveness and predicting lag phase duration.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Food Science

Background:

  • Weak-acid preservatives are crucial for preventing microbial spoilage in acidic foods and beverages.
  • These preservatives inhibit microbial growth by increasing lag phases rather than causing cell death.
  • Preservative efficacy is pH-dependent, with higher effectiveness at lower pH values due to increased undissociated acid concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model and understand the thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms of weak-acid preservative action in yeast.
  • To investigate the relationship between intracellular preservative concentration and growth inhibition.
  • To explore microbial strategies for counteracting preservative effects and predict the duration of microbial lag phases.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a thermodynamic and kinetic modeling approach to simulate preservative action in yeast.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed the correlation between intracellular preservative accumulation and growth inhibition.
  • Modeled proton-pumping activity of H(+)-ATPase in response to internal pH changes.

    • Main Results:

    • Microbial inhibition is primarily driven by the intracellular concentration of preservatives, not solely by the external undissociated acid concentration.
    • Yeast can actively export protons via H(+)-ATPase to maintain internal pH (pHi) during preservative exposure.
    • The model accurately predicts lag phase duration using a Gaussian fit of proton-pumping activity against pHi.
    • Calculated ATP consumption for proton pumping correlates with reduced cell yield in glucose-limited cultures.

    Conclusions:

    • Intracellular accumulation is a key factor in weak-acid preservative efficacy.
    • Microbial proton-pumping mechanisms play a significant role in resistance to preservative action.
    • Predictive models of microbial lag phase can be developed based on energy-dependent cellular responses.