Development of High Hydrostatic Pressure Applied in Pathogen Inactivation for Plasma

Area of Science:

• Food science
• Biotechnology
• Microbiology

Background:

• High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a validated method for food pathogen inactivation.
• HHP has potential applications in sterilizing plasma and blood derivatives.
• Evaluating HHP's efficacy and impact on plasma proteins is crucial for its application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the potential of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) for inactivating pathogens in plasma.
• To determine the optimal HHP treatment conditions (pressure, temperature, pulsing) for pathogen inactivation.
• To evaluate the impact of HHP treatment on the activity of key plasma proteins.

Main Methods:

• Pathogen-inoculated plasma samples were subjected to varying HHP conditions.
• Inactivation efficiency was measured by monitoring Colony Forming Units (CFUs) of E. coli and other pathogens.
• Plasma protein activity was assessed using Factor V and Factor VIII as indicators.

Main Results:

• Optimized conditions (200-250 MPa, 5x1 min pulses, near 0°C) achieved >8.5 log inactivation for EMCV and 7.5-8 log for E. coli and B. cereus.
• Porcine Parvovirus (PPV) and Staphylococcus aureus showed limited inactivation.
• Activity of most plasma proteins (e.g., fibrinogen, IgG) remained above 95%, while Factor V and VIII retained 46-82% activity.

Conclusions:

• HHP is a promising technology for reducing microbial load in plasma, with specific pathogen inactivation efficacy.
• The optimized HHP treatment preserves the majority of essential plasma protein functions.
• Further research is needed to address inactivation of resistant pathogens like PPV and S. aureus.