Title
Effect of pomegranate powder on the heat inactivation of Escherichia coli O104: H4 in ground chicken
Date Issued
01 December 2016
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Instituto Politécnico de Braganza
Publisher(s)
Elsevier Ltd
Abstract
Health concerns have led to a search for natural plant-based antimicrobials. Ellagic acid has been shown to have antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a high-ellagic acid commercial pomegranate on the heat resistance of Escherichia coli O104:H4 in ground chicken. A full 24 factorial design was used, consisting of temperature treatment with four levels (55.0, 57.5, 60.0, and 62.5 °C) and pomegranate with four levels (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt/wt. % containing 70% ellagic acid). Experiments were conducted twice, providing a total of 32 survival curves. A three-parameter Weibull primary model was used to describe survival kinetics. Secondary models were then developed to estimate the shape parameter β (i.e., curvature representing susceptibility of cells to stress), scale parameter γ (i.e., time to reach the first decimal reduction) and the 5.0-log lethality time t5.0 (i.e., time to reach a 5.0-log reduction), all as polynomial functions of temperature and pomegranate powder concentration. The positive effect of pomegranate concentration on both β and γ demonstrated that the phenolic-rich pomegranate powder causes E. coli O104:H4 cells to become more susceptible to heat, increasing the steepness and concavity of the isothermal survival curves. It was estimated that the 5.0-log reduction time would reach a minimum at a pomegranate powder concentration of 1%, producing a 50% decrease in lethality time, in comparison to that without added pomegranate powder. Nonetheless, a mixed-effect omnibus regression further confirmed that the greatest difference in the thermal resistance of E. coli O104:H4 happened between tests with and without pomegranate powder. In fact, adding more than 1.0% pomegranate powder, at a constant temperature, resulted only in a marginal decrease in thermal resistance. Meat processors can use the model to design lethality treatments in order to achieve specific reductions of E. coli O104:H4 in ground chicken.
Start page
26
End page
34
Volume
70
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología celular, Microbiología
Alimentos y bebidas
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84975091180
Source
Food Control
ISSN of the container
09567135
Source funding
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Sponsor(s)
We thank Angie Osoria and Carol E. Levin for technical assistance as well as in facilitating the preparation of the manuscript. Also, Dr. Gonzales-Barron wishes to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the award of a five-year Investigator Fellowship (IF) in the mode of Development Grants ( IF/00570 ).
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus