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Chitosan potentiates the antimicrobial action of sodium benzoate on spoilage yeasts
Author(s) -
Sagoo S.K.,
Board R.,
Roller S.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2002.01067.x
Subject(s) - sodium benzoate , food spoilage , library science , action (physics) , antimicrobial , chemistry , biology , food science , computer science , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , physics , quantum mechanics , bacteria
Aims: The objective of this study was to determine whether low concentrations of chitosan and benzoate in combination could be used to enhance the antimicrobial action of either compound alone against three spoilage yeasts in saline solutions. Methods and Results: Saccharomyces exiguus , Saccharomycodes ludwigii and Torulaspora delbrueckii were suspended in 0·05 and 0·005% chitosan glutamate and 0·025% sodium benzoate, alone or in combination, in 0·9% saline solutions at pH 6·2 and 4·5. Survivor curves were constructed from viable counts determined periodically for up to 120 min. Chitosan at 0·005% almost doubled the extent of death caused by 0·025% benzoate alone, from about 1–2 log to about 2–4 log cfu ml –1 , depending on pH and target organism. Conclusions: Chitosan (0·005%) and 0·025% sodium benzoate acted synergistically against spoilage yeasts in saline solutions. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results suggest that the natural compound chitosan may be useful as an adjunct in the potentiation of the biocidal efficacy of antimicrobial compounds such as benzoates.