Abstract
Bacillus cereus is an endospore-forming bacterium frequently found in dairy products and dairy environment. In this study, the hydrophobicity and surface electrical charge of spores from fourteen (14) Bacillus cereus strains isolated from a dairy plant located in north-western Algeria (were studied using microbial adhesion to hydrocarbon (MATH) method, and zeta potential measurements, respectively. Spores of eleven (11) strains presented a hydrophilic character and three (3) a hydrophobic one. The spore zeta potential values for all strains were between 12.28 and −44, 51 mV. Four spore morphologies were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after negative staining. This allowed the clear observation of an exosporium surrounding all B .cereus spores. The ability of spores to adhere to stainless steel was also studied and varied among strains. The presence of an exosporium was not sufficient to explain the ability of spores to adhere to stainless steel surfaces. When physico-chemical surface characters of B. cereus spores were compared: the hydrophobicity, the appendages length, the surface of spore and exosporium were found as the significant adhesion parameters. Key words: Bacterial spore, hydrophobicity, electrical charge, adhesion, transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Highlights
Physic co-chemical surfac ce charracterization n of Bacillus cereu us spores iso olated from a an Alge erian d dairy p plant
We evaluated the surface physicochemical properties of spores from fourteen B. cereus strains and the adhesion abilities of 4 representative isolates (2 with hydrophobic and 2 with hydrophilic spores) on the stainless steel surface
The spores’ surface characterization showed that twothirds of our spores were moderate hydrophilic and the spore electric charge characterized by the zeta potential indicated a clear electronegative character of all strains at pH 7.0; huge variations were observed between strains
Summary
Physic co-chemical surfac ce charracterization n of Bacillus cereu us spores iso olated from a an Alge erian d dairy p plant. B cereus spo ores were co ompared: the e hydrophob bicity, the appendages le ength, the surface of spore s and ex xosporium were w found as s the signific cant adhesion parameterrs. The method of microbial adhesion to hydrocarbon (MATH) was used to examine the hydrophobic characteristics of B. cereus spores and the spore zeta potential was measured.
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