Original Articles
Ying Nanjiao, Fu Rong, Zhang J
Abstract
Inactivation of bacteriophages by a non-thermal bacteria inactivation procedure--pulsed electric field (PEF) has been investigated. Model phage particles, λ phage and ΦX174 phage, were successfully inactivated by PEF treatment. The survival ratios of the two bacteriophages decreased significantly depending on treatment time when electric field intensity set between 1 to 10kV, and pulse width set between 1 to 10μs, and after 200 pulses the survival ratios were lower than 4- log. Sensitivity of phages to PEF treatment was compared with that of E.coli MV1184 cell. Phage and MV1184 cell mixtures were treated by PEF at 6kV/cm with 100 pulses, the survival ratio of λ phage and MV1184 were 5-log and 2-log. Bacteriophage is more sensitive to PEF treatment than E.coli cell, and its survival ratio was lower than that of MV1184. The results showed that phage inactivation by PEF treatment was based on destruction of phage particle structure. These finding indicated that PEF treatment inactivates E.coli phage in high-efficiency. PEF treatment could be a valuable application in food and chemical industry for inactivation of contaminated bacteriophages in fermentation culture.