Abstract
Spores are resistant against many extreme conditions including the disinfection and sterilization methods used in the food industry. Selective prevention of sporulation of Bacillus species is an ongoing challenge for food scientists and fermentation technologists. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of single and combined supplementation of calcium and manganese on sporulation of common pathogenic and food spoilage Bacillus species: B. cereus, B. licheniformis, B. subtilis and B. coagulans. Sporulation of Bacillus vegetative cells was induced on sporulation media supplemented with diverse concentrations of the minerals. Under the various mineral supplementation conditions, the degree of sporulation was quantified with colonies formed by the Bacillus spores. The results revealed that B. licheniformis and B. cereus displayed the weakest sporulation capabilities on media with minimal supplementation levels of calcium and manganese. The lowest sporulation of B. subtilis and B. coagulans was observed on media supplemented with the highest level of calcium and low levels of manganese. Depending on effect of supplementation on sporulation, the Bacillus species were divided into two distinct groups: B. licheniformis and B. cereus; and B. subtilis and B. coagulans. The information provides valuable insight to selectively reduce sporulation of Bacillus species undesirable in the food industry.
Highlights
The genus Bacillus consists of versatile and ubiquitous gram-positive species that are mostly harmless, some species demonstrate pathogenic capacities [1,2,3]
Though supplementation of the sporulation media with both Ca2+ and Mn2+ has been speculated to increase the sporulation capability of Bacillus spp., the results obtained in the present study revealed that the response to the presence of the metallic ions varies widely among Bacillus species
This study was conducted to analyze the effect of calcium and manganese on the sporulation of four common pathogenic and food spoilage Bacillus species: B. licheniformis, B. cereus, B. coagulans and B
Summary
The genus Bacillus consists of versatile and ubiquitous gram-positive species that are mostly harmless, some species demonstrate pathogenic capacities [1,2,3]. Food-borne pathogenic microorganisms are the major causes of food-borne diseases and were reported to be responsible for approximately 600 million cases of food-borne illnesses and 420,000 cases of deaths in 2010 worldwide according to the World Health Organization. While B. cereus is known as a common food-borne pathogenic species, other Bacillus spp. such as B. subtilis, B. coagulans and B. licheniformis are commonly known as food spoilage bacteria. B. licheniformis and B. subtilis are known to cause food-borne illnesses and may produce toxins, they are not considered common pathogenic species [3,4,5]. The Bacillus species may form dormant, metabolically inert spores which are much more resistant than their vegetative counterparts [6,7]. Spores are found to be resistant against many extreme conditions including the disinfection and sterilization methods used in the food industry.
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