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Inhibition of Escherichia coli Trimethylamine-N-oxide Reductase by Food Preservatives 1
1Department of Food Science and Technology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331.
Abstract:
Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMA-O) reductase activity of resting cells of Escherichia coli was inhibited by tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Na4EDTA), benzoic acid (BA and methylparaben (MP). The 50% inhibitory concentrations of Na4EDTA, BA and MP were 20.2, 1.2 and 32.4 mM, respectively. BA at pH 6.5 or below most effectively inhibited the TMA-O reductase. Sorbic acid (SA), up to 0.70 mM, had no effect on TMA-O reductase activity, but SA inhibited the growth and subsequent TMA production in E. coli at or above 0.3S mM.
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