Effect of oscillatory high hydrostatic pressure treatments on Byssochlamys nivea ascospores suspended in fruit juice concentrates

The effect of continuous (689 MPa with holding times of 5, 15 or 25 min) and oscillatory (one, three or five cycles at 689 MPa with holding times of 1 s) high hydrostatic pressure treatments on the viability of Byssochlamys nivea ascospores suspended in apple and cranberry juice concentrates adjusted by dilution to water activities (a_w) of 0·98 and 0·94 was evaluated at 21 and 60 °C. Inactivation of the initial spore inocula was achieved after three or five cycles of oscillatory pressurization at 60 °C when the a_w was 0·98 in both fruit juices. With a_w 0·94, the initial inocula were reduced by less than 1 log-cycle after five pressure cycles. Inactivation was not observed within 25 min with continuous pressurization at 60 °C. In treatments at 21 °C, no effect on spore viability was observed with continuous or oscillatory treatments.     

Heat resistance of Byssochlamys ascospores.

Ascospores from 25 strains of Byssochlamys were studied for their ability to resist heat treatment in a standard defined medium. Seven of these were able to survive heating at 90 degrees C for 25 min or longer, when initial numbers were frequently near 10(6)/ml. Ascospores from five resistant strains suspended in the medium at pH 5.0 were usually more resistant than those at pH 3.6. Rapid heat inactivation occurred for one strain at pH 6.6. Nonlogarithmic heat death rate was observed in all strains tested.     

Heat resistance of Byssochlamys ascospores.

Ascospores from 25 strains of Byssochlamys were studied for their ability to resist heat treatment in a standard defined medium. Seven of these were able to survive heating at 90 degrees C for 25 min or longer, when initial numbers were frequently near 10(6)/ml. Ascospores from five resistant strains suspended in the medium at pH 5.0 were usually more resistant than those at pH 3.6. Rapid heat inactivation occurred for one strain at pH 6.6. Nonlogarithmic heat death rate was observed in all strains tested.     

Byssochlamys nivea as a Source of Mycophenolic Acid

Byssochlamys species are responsible for spoilage and degradation of fruits and silages and can also produce the mycotoxin patulin. We analyzed secondary metabolite production by Byssochlamys nivea. Mycophenolic acid and its precursors, 5-methylorsellinic acid and 5,7-dihydroxy-4-methylphthalide, were identified in all of the B. nivea strains that we examined.     

Byssochlamys nivea as a source of mycophenolic acid

Byssochlamys species are responsible for spoilage and degradation of fruits and silages and can also produce the mycotoxin patulin. We analyzed secondary metabolite production by Byssochlamys nivea. Mycophenolic acid and its precursors, 5-methylorsellinic acid and 5,7-dihydroxy-4-methylphthalide, were identified in all of the B. nivea strains that we examined.     

Disintegration and Organoleptic Deterioration of Processed Strawberries caused by the Mould Byssochlamys nivea

S ummary : In the Netherlands the disintegration of processed strawberries, accompanied by unpleasant odour and flavour, is generally caused by the mould Byssochlamys nivea . Pectolytic enzymes produced during the growth of the mould are responsible for the disintegration. The organism is not killed by the heat treatment normally applied to strawberries.     

Heat resistance and the effects of continuous pasteurization on the inactivation of Byssochlamys fulva ascospores in clarified apple juice

Aims: To determine thermal resistance, the effect of pasteurization temperature variations (c. 2°C) in a continuous system in the number of decimal reductions (n) of a Byssochlamys strain in clarified apple juice (CAJ). Methods and Results: Thermal destruction kinetics of Byssochlamys fulva IOC 4518 in thermal death tubes were determined at 85°, 90°, 92° and 95°C by using Weibull distribution frequency model. Three processes with different heating and holding temperatures (A: 94°, 92°C; B: 95°, 93°C; C: 96°, 94°C, respectively) were performed in a continuous system. Process time was 30 s. δ (time of first decimal reduction) values were: 42·98, 8·10, 3·62 and 1·81 min. Variable n ranged from 0·16 to >4·78 for process B (equivalent to industrial). Variable n (0·95–2·66 log CFU ml^?1) were obtained in CAJ bottles processed under condition B, while process A resulted in total heat‐resistant mould (HRM) survival and process C in total HRM destruction. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that small variations in temperature during the CAJ pasteurization could result in elimination or survival of HRM due to its nonlogarithmic behaviour. Significance and Impact of the Study: This was the first study to use Weibull frequency method to model inactivation of HRM in fruit juices. Temperature variations could culminate in the presence of HRM in pasteurized juices even when low counts (<10 spores per 100 ml) were present in the raw materials.     

Influence of temperature and water activity on growth and patulin production by Byssochlamys nivea in apple juice

The influence of temperature and water activity (aw) on growth and patulin production by Byssochlamys nivea in apple syrups was determined over a 44-day incubation period. The minimum aw at which the mold was capable of growing was 0.915 and 0.886 at 21 and 30 degrees C, respectively. Growth at 37 degrees C was observed at 0.871 aw. Minimum aw values for patulin production were 0.978, 0.968, and 0.959 at 21, 30 and 37 degrees C, respectively.     

Influence of temperature and water activity on growth and patulin production by Byssochlamys nivea in apple juice.

The influence of temperature and water activity (aw) on growth and patulin production by Byssochlamys nivea in apple syrups was determined over a 44-day incubation period. The minimum aw at which the mold was capable of growing was 0.915 and 0.886 at 21 and 30 degrees C, respectively. Growth at 37 degrees C was observed at 0.871 aw. Minimum aw values for patulin production were 0.978, 0.968, and 0.959 at 21, 30 and 37 degrees C, respectively.     

Induction of petite mutations during germination and outgrowth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ascospores.

The germination and outgrowth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ascospores were studied by determining the sensitivity of the ascospores to the action of chemical mutagens. Survival of the ascospores after N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) treatment was low during the first 2 h of germination and then increased and remained constant. Survival of the ascospores after 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9-(3-[ethyl-2-chloroethyl]aminopropylamino)acridine-2HC1 (ICR-170) treatment was constant from 0 to 5 h, but as the ascospores completed outgrowth at 6 h they became more sensitive to killing by ICR-170. Survival of the ascospores remained high during treatment with 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9-(3-[ethyl-2-hydroxyethyl]aminopropylamino)acridine-2HC1 (ICR-170-OH) or 2,7-diamino-10-ethyl-9-phenyl-phenanthridinium bromide. The main classes of mutations screened for were petites and auxotrophs. The induction of petites and auxotrophs by MNNG was independent of the stage of germination and outgrowth treated. Petite induction by ICR-170 was dependent upon the stage of germination and outgrowth treated. The early hours of germination (0 to 3 h) were not sensitive to petite induction. However, there was maximal petite induction at 5 h into germination and outgrowth, followed by a decline. During this same time period, ICR-170 induced less than 1% auxotrophic colonies. This finding is very unusual because ICR-170 induced 15% auxotrophic colonies in starved log-phase cultures of S. cerevisiae. The acridine ICR-170-OH induced no mutations during germination and outgrowth of the ascospores. Ethidium bromide induced petites, and the petite frequency became maximal at 5 h of germination and outgrowth, a result similar to that obtained with ICR-170.     

Germination and outgrowth of Schizosaccharomyces pombe ascospores isolated by Urografin density gradient centrifugation.

A simple method for the isolation of single ascospores of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was examined. Single spores in the 7-day-old sporulating culture of a homothallic strain were separated from remaining vegetative cells by isopycnic centrifugation in the linear gradient from 10 to 60% of Urografin solution at 700 X g for 20 min. Protein content of isolated spores was very low as compared with that of vegetative cells. The isolated spores germinated through the following steps when cultured in a liquid medium at 25--35 degrees C; loss of refractility (darkening) under a phase-contrast microscope, spherical growth (swelling), emergence of germ tubes, elongation of germ tubes, cell plate formation, and cell separation. The absorbance at 650 nm of the spore suspension initially decreased, accompanied by darkening of spores, and then increased with spherical growth. The germination rate of isolated spores reached almost 100%.     

A developmental pathway controlling outgrowth of the Xenopus tail bud

We have developed a new assay to identify factors promoting formation and outgrowth of the tail bud. A piece of animal cap filled with the test mRNAs is grafted into the posterior region of the neural plate of a host embryo. With this assay we show that expression of a constitutively active Notch (Notch ICD) in the posterior neural plate is sufficient to produce an ectopic tail consisting of neural tube and fin. The ectopic tails express the evenskipped homologue Xhox3, a marker for the distal tail tip. Xhox3 will also induce formation of an ectopic tail in our assay. We show that an antimorphic version of Xhox3, Xhox3VP16, will prevent tail formation by Notch ICD, showing that Xhox3 is downstream of Notch signalling. An inducible version of this reagent, Xhox3VP16GR, specifically blocks tail formation when induced in tailbud stage embryos, comfirming the importance of Xhox3 for tail bud outgrowth in normal development. Grafts containing Notch ICD will only form tails if placed in the posterior part of the neural plate. However, if Xwnt3a is also present in the grafts they can form tails at any anteroposterior level. Since Xwnt3a expression is localised appropriately in the posterior at the time of tail bud formation it is likely to be responsible for restricting tail forming competence to the posterior neural plate in our assay. Combined expression of Xwnt3a and active Notch in animal cap explants is sufficient to induce Xhox3, provoke elongation and form neural tubes. Conservation of gene expression in the tail bud of other vertebrates suggests that this pathway may describe a general mechanism controlling tail outgrowth and secondary neurulation.     

The effect of food preservatives on pH homeostasis in Escherichia coli

The effects of cinnamic, propionic, benzoic and sorbic acids on the growth and intracellular pH of Escherichia coli were investigated. The data suggest that the potency of weak acids as food preservatives is related to their capacity to reduce specifically the intracellular pH. The data also suggest that although both the undissociated forms of the acid cause the intracellular pH to fall, growth inhibition is due predominantly to the undissociated acid.