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Effects of Storage in Recovery Media on Sublethally Heated Polio and Echo Viruses
Glenna J Kophen1, Norman N Potter1
1Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
Abstract:
In vitro renaturation of heat-denatured virus particles was studied using poliovirus type 1, strain CHAT and echovirus type 6, strain D'Amori. Six recovery media were chosen to simulate heat-processed foods and mildly processed or raw foods and to represent a range of compositions. Virus was suspended in four heating media and processed to various degrees of inactivation. After cooling, the stressed virus was resuspended in the recovery media and incubated at 30 C for up to 7 days. Titers were determined at intervals from 3.5 h to 7 days in African Green Monkey kidney cells. The suspending medium influenced poliovirus susceptibility to heat treatments. The acidic medium produced a higher degree of inactivation in shorter time than the nutrient and ion-rich media. Echovirus was less affected than poliovirus by medium composition. No increase in titer of either virus occurred in any of the recovery media, indicating absence of renaturation mechanisms. Instead, independent of medium composition, virus titers slowly decreased over the 7-day storage period.
Insights
Heat-stressed poliovirus and echovirus did not renature in food-simulating recovery media. Virus titers decreased over time, indicating no recovery mechanisms were active in any tested medium.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Food Microbiology
Background:
- Heat processing is used to inactivate viruses in food.
- Understanding virus renaturation is crucial for food safety assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro renaturation of heat-denatured poliovirus and echovirus.
- To evaluate the impact of different recovery media on virus viability after heat stress.
Main Methods:
- Poliovirus type 1 and echovirus type 6 were heat-denatured in various suspending media.
- Stressed viruses were incubated in six different recovery media at 30°C for up to 7 days.
- Virus titers were determined using African Green Monkey kidney cell cultures.
Main Results:
- The suspending medium significantly affected poliovirus susceptibility to heat inactivation, with acidic media causing greater inactivation.
- Echovirus exhibited less sensitivity to medium composition compared to poliovirus.
- No evidence of virus renaturation or titer increase was observed in any recovery medium.
- Virus titers showed a gradual decrease during the 7-day incubation period, irrespective of medium composition.
Conclusions:
- In vitro renaturation of heat-denatured poliovirus and echovirus does not occur in simulated food recovery media.
- Virus viability decreases over time post-heat stress, suggesting no active recovery mechanisms are present.
- Medium composition influences heat inactivation but not renaturation potential.
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