Thermal inactivation of susceptible and multiantimicrobial-resistant salmonella strains grown in the absence or presence of glucose

The heat resistance of susceptible and multiantimicrobial-resistant Salmonella strains grown to stationary phase in glucose-free tryptic soy broth supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract (TSBYE-G; nonadapted), in regular (0.25% glucose) TSBYE, or in TSBYE-G with 1.00% added glucose (TSBYE+G; acid adapted) was determined at 55, 57, 59, and 61 degrees C. Cultures were heated in sterile 0.1% buffered peptone water (50 microl) in heat-sealed capillary tubes immersed in a thermostatically controlled circulating-water bath. Decimal reduction times (D values) were calculated from survival curves having r(2) values of >0.90 as a means of comparing thermal tolerance among variables. D(59 degrees C) values increased (P < 0.05) from 0.50 to 0.58 to 0.66 min for TSBYE-G, TSBYE, and TSBYE+G cultures, respectively. D(61 degrees C) values of antimicrobial-susceptible Salmonella strains increased (P < 0.05) from 0.14 to 0.19 as the glucose concentration increased from 0.00 to 1.00%, respectively, while D(61 degrees C) values of multiantimicrobial-resistant Salmonella strains did not differ (P > 0.05) between TSBYE-G and TSBYE+G cultures. When averaged across glucose levels and temperatures, there were no differences (P > 0.05) between the D values of susceptible and multiantimicrobial-resistant inocula. Collectively, D values ranged from 4.23 to 5.39, 1.47 to 1.81, 0.50 to 0.66, and 0.16 to 0.20 min for Salmonella strains inactivated at 55, 57, 59, and 61 degrees C, respectively. z(D) values were 1.20, 1.48, and 1.49 degrees C for Salmonella strains grown in TSBYE+G, TSBYE, and TSBYE-G, respectively, while the corresponding activation energies of inactivation were 497, 493, and 494 kJ/mol. Study results suggested a cross-protective effect of acid adaptation on thermal inactivation but no association between antimicrobial susceptibility and the ability of salmonellae to survive heat stress.