Evaluation of the importance of germinative cycles for destruction of bacillus cereus spores in miniature cheeses

Our objective was to determine the effect of high pressure on inactivation of spores of Bacillus cereus ATCC 9139 inoculated into cheese made of raw cow's milk. Inoculated miniature cheeses were manufactured under controlled bacteriological conditions, vacuum packed and kept at 8 °C for 15 days after pressure treatment. Cheeses were submitted to pressures of 300, 400 or 500 MPa at 30 °C, during 15 min. Some of them were treated with a germination cycle of 60 MPa at 30 °C for 210 min. Lethality was calculated comparing surviving sample counts to control ones. Adding the germinative cycle resulted in higher efficiency, and when applied with 500 MPa, lethality reached 2.0 log cfu/mL. We saw that with both cycles initial counts of spores diminish, but all of them were not inactivated. However, considering that in raw milk mesophilic spore counts are 2.6-2.9 log cfu/mL, this treatment may be useful.     

On the nature and the practical relevance of the molecular modifications induced in wheat proteins by high pressure treatment

Abstract

Modifications induced by the combined application of pressure (up to 800 MPa) and temperature (up to 80° C) were studied on wet and dry semolina, and on fresh pasta as such and after cooking. Rheological and immunochemical properties of the treated products were investigated, along with parameters indicating the extent of protein denaturation. No modification occurs in semolina treated at less than 45% water, below 60°C/800MPa for 10min. Egg noodles prepared from pressure/heat treated semolina had increased protein digestibility and low recognition by anti-gliadin antibodies either before or after cooking. The same effects were observed in heat/pressure treated pasta, but were lost upon subsequent cooking, although we found decreased immunochemical reactivity after heat/pressure treatment of cooked pasta. No sensory difference was found between cooked and pressure-treated semolina products.     

Hydrothermal hot pressing for recycling of waste glass

Abstract

Recycling of waste glasses has been conducted by a hydrothermal hot-pressing method to produce high density compacts. Our research was focussed on the intluence of various reaction variables (temperature, time, water content and loading pressure) during compaction of several types of waste glasses. The compaction of all glasses starts around 120°C and proceeds rapidly with increasing temperature. Under hydrothermal hot pressing conditions, the compaction of the waste glass is most strongly controlled by temperature and water content, and affected to a lesser degree by reaction time and loading pressure. A maximum tensile strength of 65 MPa was obtained for ‘blue’ glass at 200°C, 10wt% water content, after applying 60 MPa loading pressure for 2 hours.     

Effects of hydrostatic pressure and temperature on catalytic activity of Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase (HLADH)

Abstract

We have studied the effects of hydrostatic pressure and/or temperature on the catalytic activity of Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase (HLADH). The Vmax, Km and thermo-dynamical activation volume were determined versus pressure in the range of 0.1 to 225 MPa at ambient temperature (29°C) and at the optimal temperature of HLADH (53°C).     

Laboratory measurement of longitudinal wave velocity of artificial gas hydrate under different temperatures and pressures

The longitudinal wave velocity and attenuation measurements of artificial gas hydrate samples at a low temperature are reported. And the temperature and pressure dependence of longitudinal wave velocity is also investigated. In order to understand the acoustic properties of gas hydrate, the pure ice, the pure tetrahydrofuran (THF), the pure gas hydrate samples and sand sediment containing gas hydrate are measured at a low temperature between 0°C and −15°C. For the pure ice, the pure THF and the pure gas hydrate samples, whose density is 898 kg/m³, 895 kg/m³ and 475 kg/m³, the velocity of longitudinal wave is respectively 3574 m/s, 3428 m/s and 2439 m/s. For synthesized and compacted samples, the velocity of synthesized samples is lower than that of compacted samples. The velocities increase when the densities of the samples increase, while the attenuation decreases. Under the condition of low temperature, the results show that the velocity is slightly affected by the temperature. The results also show that wave velocities increase with the increase of piston pressures. For example, the velocity of one sample increases from 3049 up to 3337 m/s and the other increases from 2315 up to 2995 m/s. But wave velocity decreases from 3800 to 3546 m/s when the temperature increases from −15°C to 5°C and changes significantly close to the melting point. Formation conditions of the two samples are the same but with different conversion ratios of water. The results of the experiment are important for exploration of the gas hydrate resources and development of acoustic techniques. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10674148)     

Hydrostatic high pressure applied to food sterilization III: Application to spices and spice mixtures

Abstract

The response of suspensions of spices and spice mixtures in water to high pressure treatment was investigated. Inactivation of the microbial load–mainly aerobic and unaerobic spore formers–was strongly dependent on water activity and temperature. Samples were completely decontaminated after three pressure cycles (30 min at 80 MPa followed by 30 min at 350 MPa) at 70 °C at a minimum water activity of 0.91. Pressure treated samples were examined for sensory and chemical changes. No significant changes in odour and appearance were recognized by a trained sensory panel, nor were changes in the volatile compounds of the samples detected by static headspace gaschromatography.     

Listeria monocytogenes cells injured by high hydrostatic pressure and their recovery in nutrient-rich or -free medium during cold storage

ABSTRACT

Cells of Listeria monocytogenes suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were treated by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP; 500?MPa, 25°C, 10?min), diluted by ten folds using trypticase soy broth (TSB) or PBS, and stored at cold temperatures of 0–15°C. Viable cell count in TSB increased logarithmically close to the initial count at each storage temperature, while that in PBS increased temporarily and subsequently decreased to almost nondetectable level except the case at 15°C, where it showed logarithmic increase thereafter. Based on proliferation experiments where their healthy cells were inoculated to TSB or to PBS containing their heat-killed dead cells, it was suggested that increase in the viable count of HHP-treated cells in TSB and PBS could be ascribed to the recovery of colony forming ability and/or proliferation depending on the cold storage temperature.     

Interaction of food packaging material and selected food components under high pressure

Abstract

Interactions between ethanolic solutions of p-cymene and acetophenone and different polymer packaging materials. were studied at 500 MPa and 25° C. p-Cymene solution, filled into low-density polyethylene bags, lost 30% of its aroma concentration after 24 h at 500 MPa compared to a 60% loss at atmospheric pressure. The decrease was strongest within the first 15 min. Using LDPE/HDPE/LDPE bags, losses were 20% and 30%, resp. Applying the “bag in the bag” method, p-cymene concentrations measured inside and outside the inner bag has shown sorption by the pressurized film to be one third of that by the non-pressurized. In PET/AI/LDPE bags impermeable to p-cymene, sorption was confined to the inner LDPE layer and caused higher loss in the non-pressurized sample. Acetophenone has not been found to interact with the polymer during pressure treatment, while at atmospheric pressure sorption loss in aroma concentration was nearly 70% after 60 h.     

Visualization of pressure-shift freezing and thawing of concentrated aqueous sucrose solutions

A visualization of pressure-shift freezing of 0.7 w/w sucrose solutions was carried out at three temperatures 268, 253 and 235 K by release of pressure from 200 MPa to atmospheric value. Furthermore, pressure-shift freezing at 268 K and additionally pressure-shift thawing was carried out for a solution of 0.2 sucrose mass fraction. The solid phase observed at 268 K in the case of solution with 0.2 w/w sucrose fraction was ice I. The phase changes of 0.7 w/w sucrose solutions at 253 K and 235 K resulted in formation of spherical solids which are hypothesized to be eutectics, i.e. crystals with structure containing sucrose hydrates and water. The visual evaluation revealed differences in size and distribution of spherical crystals. The solids formed at 235 K were more numerous, more homogenously distributed and finally smaller than those observed at 253 K. It is explained by the higher supercooling of the solution in the former case, which provided higher driving force for nucleation and crystal growth.     

Measurements of the complex shear modulus of polymers under hydrostatic pressure usina the quartz resonator method

Abstract

The quartz resonator method measures the complex shear modulus or compliance of viscoelastic materials in the frequency range from 50 kHz to 140 MHz at temperatures between ?150°C and 300°C and pressures up to 1 GPa. This method can be applied to viscous fluids or polymer melts -even in their glassy or seminystalline regime.

The phase diagram of poly(diethylsiloxane) PDES (a mesophase polymer) was determined for two samples with different molecular weight at pressures up to 400 MPa and temperatures between 20°C and 100°C. Phase transitions are indicated by a sharp bend in the shear compliance although the volume effect of the mesophase-isotropic transition vanishes around 80 MPa.

The pressure dependence of the glass relaxation process (in PVAc), was studied by measuring the change of the complex shear modulus with pressure at constant temperatures between 95°C and 145°C and pressures up to 600 MPa. Additionally to the relaxation process, also the pressure dependence of the real part of the shear modulus in the glassy region can be determined for testing the dislocation concept in the meandermodell by W. Pechhold.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure and reducing sodium chloride and phosphate on physicochemical properties of beef gels

ABSTRACT

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (100–200?MPa, 10?min, 20°C) combined with sodium chloride and sodium phosphate on the physicochemical properties of beef gels was investigated. The water content, cooking losses, color, protein composition by SDS-PAGE analysis and texture parameters of beef gels were determined. The beef gels treated with high pressure at 150?MPa showed a synergistic effect in the increased water content and the decreased cooking losses compared with the unpressurized gels. The L*, a* and b* color values of beef gels were slightly decreased under HHP treatment at 100–200?MPa. In the SDS-PAGE analysis, the staining intensity of the α-actinin protein band was decreased in pressurized samples. The cohesiveness, adhesiveness, gel strength and modulus of elasticity were improved after HHP treatment. Application of high pressure treatment (150–200?MPa) before heat treatment would be beneficial for the manufacturing of low salt and/or low phosphate meat products for a healthy diet.     

Advances in the combined application of enzymatic and physical treatments for reducing food allergenicity

Abstract

Enzymatic hydrolysis of allergenic food proteins (betalactoglobulin, ovalbumin) was carried out during treatment at different combinations of time, pressure and temperature, with the aim of hydrolyzing the protein conformers transiently formed in the course of physical treatment in conditions where no irreversible modification of the target protein occurs. The amount of residual intact betalactoglobulin after 10min at 600 MPa in the presence of trypsin or chymotrypsin was found to decrease markedly with increasing temperature (30–44°C). The temperature sensitivity of the enzymatic hydrolysis of ovalbumin during similar treatments was much less pronounced than that of betalactoglobulin. The effects of temperature on the accessibility of betalactoglobulin conformers to proteases were studied at higher temperatures (55-65°C), and indicated that complete hydrolysis of betalactoglobulin cannot be achieved in a short time in the absence of a pressure treatment. None of the hydrolysis products of either protein was immunoreactive in Western-blot immunoassays.     

Changes in Volatile Aromatic Compounds of Strawberry Puree Treated by High-pressure During Storage

The changes in volatile flavor components and lipoxygenase and peroxidase enzymatic activity of Cilady strawberry puree during high pressure processing (400 MPa/20 °C/20 min) and storage at 4 °C were evaluated. High pressure processing maintains the original aromatic distribution, but after thirty days of storage an increase in some volatile compounds was observed. After high pressure treatment and storage, a residual lipoxygenase activity was observed, which could explain some slight changes of volatile compounds. On the other hand, the peroxidase was clearly inactivated by high pressure treatment.     

Effect of pH and high pressure at sub-zero temperature on the viability of some bacteria

The objective of this study was to investigate the viability of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in apple juice after treatment with high pressure at sub-zero temperature and during subsequent storage at 5 and 20 °C. The viability of E. coli and S. aureus cells suspended in the apple juice with a pH of 3.8 did not decrease considerably after pressure treatment at 193 MPa and?20 °C. However, viability losses occurred during storage of samples after pressure treatment. Living cells of both strains were not detected in pressurized samples of apple juice stored for 10 days at 20°C. The lethal effect was lower when the samples after pressure treatment were incubated at refrigerated temperature; the number of E. coli and S. aureus decreased by 6 log cycles when the juice was stored for 10 days at 5 °C.     

Moderate hydrostatic pressure–temperature combinations for inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores

We report the effect of using moderate hydrostatic pressure, 40–140?MPa, at moderate temperature (38–58°C) to inactivate Bacillus subtilis spores in McIlvaine's citric phosphate buffer at pH 6. We have investigated several parameters: pressure applied, holding time, pressure cycling, and temperature. The kinetics of spore inactivation is reported. The results show that spore inactivation is exponentially proportional to the time the sample is exposed to pressure. Spore germination and inactivation occur at the hydrostatic pressures/temperature combinations we explored. Cycling the pressure while keeping the total time at high pressure constant does not significantly increase spore inactivation. We show that temperature increases spore inactivation at two different rates; a slow rate below 33°C, and at a more rapid rate at higher temperatures. Increasing pressure leads to an increase in spore inactivation below 95?MPa; however, further increases in pressure give a similar rate kill. The time dependence of the effect of pressure is consistent with the first-order model (R²?>?0.9). The thermal resistance values (Z_T) of B. subtilis spores are 30°C, 37°C, and 40°C at 60, 80, 100?MPa. The increase in Z_T value at higher pressures indicates lower temperature sensitivity. The pressure resistance values (Z_P) are 125, 125 and 143?MPa at 38°C, 48°C, and 58°C. These Z_P values are lower than those reported for B. subtilis spores in the literature, which indicates higher sensitivity at pressures less than about 140?MPa. We show that at temperatures <60°C, B. subtilis spores are inactivated at pressures below 100?MPa. This finding could have implications for the design of the sterilization equipment.     

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO): a process for the treatment of industrial waste effluents

Abstract

SuperCtical Water Oxidation (SCWO) process is investigated at the Institut of Technical Chemistry, ITC-CPV. The objectives were to determine destruction efficiencies of model compounds and industrial waste effluents and to study the feasability of the SCWO process.

Two continuous SCWO bench scale plants are operated a pipe reactor and a transpiring wall reactor system (design data: T= 630°C, P = 32MPa, feed rate waste water =10 and 50kg/h, air feed rate = 20kglh, transpiring and quench water feed rate = 50 kg/h). Suspensions containing up to 5%wt solid material can be fed to the reactor using a membrane pump.

With the pipe reactor, efficiencies of up to 99.99% were achieved for the oxidation of model compounds (ethanol, toluene, phenol) as well as real waste effluents (paper, chemical, pharmaceutical industry, sewage works). The use of the pipe reactor is limited to feeds without salt to avoid plugging.

Salty feeds are processed using the transpiring wall reactor, which is consisting of a pressure bearing tube outside and a porous tube as reactor inside. Water is steadily running through the porous reactor preventing the formation of deposits on the wall.

SCWO has a high potential at least for the destruction of halogented organic compounds using the transpiring wall reactor system and is seen to be competitive to other processes for waste destruction.     

High pressure studies on hesperitin production with hesperidinase free and immobilized in calcium alginate beads

The use of high pressure for the enzymatic synthesis of pharmacologically interesting molecules is a very important tool. Hesperidin and hesperitin exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties and prevent bone loss. However, hesperidin has a low bioavailability compared with hesperitin, due to the rutinoside moiety attached to the flavonoid. The aim of this work was the enzymatic production of hesperitin from hesperidin (soluble and insoluble) with hesperidinase free and immobilized in Ca-alginate beads, under high pressure conditions. The work was focused on the optimization of enzyme activity, studying the effects: pressure (50–150 MPa), temperature (35–75 °C), concentration of substrate (100–800 mg/L), and immobilization of hesperidinase. An 18-fold increase in hesperidinase residual activity was observed under high pressure conditions of 100 MPa compared to 0.1 MPa. A higher specificity of the hydrolytic reaction under high pressure (100 MPa) with a two-and three-fold increase in the ratio K _cat/K _M (specificity constant) at 55 °C and 75 °C was observed. A two-fold increase in the maximum activity at 100 MPa was observed with immobilized hesperinase compared to 0.1 MPa. In the second reutilization, almost a four-fold increase was obtained under high pressure conditions in comparison to atmospheric pressure.     

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in model suspensions and beetroot juice

The inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCFB 3191 using high hydrostatic pressure of 300 MPa at 20°C with a holding time of 0, 1, 5 and 10 min was investigated with model suspensions in phosphate-buffered saline and in beetroot juice. The reduction in S. cerevisiae NCFB 3191 in model suspensions was about 5 log after 10 min of pressurization, irrespective of the initial level of cell concentration in the samples (5.4–8.7 log cfu/mL). The baroprotective effect of beetroot juice on yeast cells during pressurization was observed; the reduction was lower and was only 3.5 log (the inoculum was 5.4 log cfu/mL). No sublethal injury among the surviving cells of the studied yeast strain was found.     

A two-fraction model for the calculation of the resonance spectra of the complex permittivity of ice in the far infrared

A two-fraction model that makes it possible to calculate analytically the complex dielectric permittivity of ice in the far infrared and submillimeter wavelength ranges is proposed. The librational and vibrational fractions are considered. The first fraction, consisting of rigid dipoles executing anharmonic reorientations in defects of the structure, gives rise to the librational band of ice at 800 cm^?1. The second fraction consists of elastically vibrating oppositely charged H-bonded molecules. This fraction describes two bands of ice in the range 100–300 cm^?1, and the nonresonant background of dielectric losses in the submillimeter wavelength range. The dielectric permittivity spectra of ice calculated for the temperature of ?7°C are consistent with the experimental spectra. The spectra of ice at the temperature ?30°C are predicted.     

Evaluation of Ph and granite/hot water interaction under geothermal conditions

Abstract

The in-situ laboratory measurement of pH in a granite-hot water reaction system has been undertaken under flowing conditions. The calculation of fluid pH and multi-component chemical equilibria in the granite-hot water reaction system was made, using the calculation program SOLVEQ92. In this study, the chemical equilibrium relationship of granite and hot water interaction was also deduced using the some program. The measurement of in-situ pH in the granite-hot water reaction system was undertaken in the temperature and pressure range of 100–250°C and 20MPa respectively. The in-situ pH value shows good agreement with the pH calculation value with regard to multi-component chemical equilibria. As a result of this work, it is reasonable to suggest that the pH of reservoir fluids in geothermal system can be readily estimated by use of the SOLVEQ92 calculation program, which provides a ‘calculated’ pH value.