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Effects of high-pressure processing on in vitro infectivity of Encephalitozoon cuniculi
Carly N Jordan1, Anne M Zajac, Daniel Holliman
1Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg 24061-0342, USA.
Abstract:
High-pressure processing (HPP) has been shown to be an effective means of eliminating bacteria and destructive enzymes from a variety of food products. HPP extends the shelf life of products while maintaining the sensory features of food and beverages. In this study, we examined the effects of HPP on the infectivity of Encephalitozoon cuniculi spores in vitro. Spores were exposed to between 140 and 550 MPa for 1 min in a commercial HPP unit. Following treatment, the spores were loaded onto cell culture flasks or were kept for examination by transmission electron microscopy. No effect was observed on the infectivity of spores treated with 140 MPa. Spores treated with between 200 and 275 MPa showed reduction in infectivity. Following treatment of 345 MPa or more, spores were unable to infect host cells. No morphologic changes were observed in pressure-treated spores with transmission electron microscopy.
