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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2004, p. 2271-2278, Vol. 70, No. 4
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.4.2271-2278.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Sodium Chloride Reduces Production of Curvacin A, a Bacteriocin Produced by Lactobacillus curvatus Strain LTH 1174, Originating from Fermented Sausage

Jurgen Verluyten, Winy Messens, and Luc De Vuyst^*

Research Group of Industrial Microbiology, Fermentation Technology and Downstream Processing (IMDO), Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium

Received 29 October 2003/ Accepted 5 January 2004

Lactobacillus curvatus LTH 1174, a strain originating in fermented sausage, produces the antilisterial bacteriocin curvacin A. Its biokinetics of cell growth and bacteriocin production as a function of various concentrations of salt (sodium chloride) were investigated in vitro during laboratory fermentations using modified MRS medium. A model was set up to describe the effects of different NaCl concentrations on microbial behavior. Both cell growth and bacteriocin activity were affected by changes in the salt concentration. Sodium chloride clearly slowed down the growth of L. curvatus LTH 1174, but more importantly, it had a detrimental effect on specific curvacin A production (k_B) and hence on overall bacteriocin activity. Even a low salt concentration (2%, wt/vol) decreased bacteriocin production, while growth was unaffected at this concentration. The inhibitory effect of NaCl was mainly due to its role as an a_w-lowering agent. Further, it was clear that salt interfered with bacteriocin induction. Additionally, when 6% (wt/vol) sodium chloride was added, the minimum biomass concentration necessary to start the production of curvacin A (X_B) was 0.90 g (cell dry mass) per liter. Addition of the cell-free culture supernatant or a protein solution as a source of induction factor resulted in a decrease in X_B, an increase in k_B, and hence an increase in the maximum attainable bacteriocin activity.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: IMDO, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium. Phone: 32-2-6293245. Fax: 32-2-6292720. E-mail: ldvuyst{at}vub.ac.be.

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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2004, p. 2271-2278, Vol. 70, No. 4
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.4.2271-2278.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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