Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
05:34
Author Spotlight: Development of an Enhanced Protocol for Rapid and Accurate Isolation of Campylobacter from Food Products
Published on: February 23, 2024
2.5K
Chlorine Induces Physiological and Morphological Changes on Chicken Meat Campylobacter Isolates
Gayani Kuriyawe Muhandiramlage1, Andrea R McWhorter1, Kapil K Chousalkar1
1School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|April 10, 2020
Summary
Chlorine effectively inhibits Campylobacter jejuni at low concentrations in vitro, but higher bacterial loads reveal varied responses and potential for resuscitation, indicating limitations for poultry processing. This research aids the chicken meat industry in optimizing chlorine use.
Area of Science:
- Food Safety
- Microbiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Campylobacter colonization in broiler chickens poses a significant public health risk via the poultry meat supply chain.
- Chlorine is widely used in poultry processing to reduce bacterial loads, but its efficacy against Campylobacter is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro efficacy of chlorine against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from poultry meat carcasses.
- To determine the impact of bacterial load and organic material on chlorine's bactericidal activity.
- To characterize the morphological and physiological effects of chlorine exposure on Campylobacter.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of 116 Campylobacter isolates (89 C. jejuni, 27 C. coli) from poultry carcasses.
- In vitro assays including Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), time-kill assays, and chlorine inactivation assays.
- Analysis of UV leakage and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) to assess cellular damage and morphological changes.
Main Results:
- Campylobacter isolates showed high MIC/MBC values (128 ppm), potentially influenced by organic material.
- C. jejuni was sensitive to low chlorine concentrations (0.2-2.0 ppm) at 10^6 CFU/mL.
- At higher loads (10^8 CFU/mL), C. jejuni exhibited varied responses to chlorine, with some isolates showing resistance and potential for resuscitation after exposure, indicating membrane damage.
- Electron microscopy revealed cellular damage, shape changes, and degeneration, but also normal morphology in some exposed cells.
Conclusions:
- Chlorine demonstrates bactericidal activity against Campylobacter, but its effectiveness is influenced by bacterial load and the presence of organic matter.
- The potential for C. jejuni resuscitation after chlorine exposure highlights a critical limitation for its use in poultry processing.
- Findings provide valuable data for optimizing chlorine application strategies in the chicken meat industry to mitigate Campylobacter contamination.
