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In the present study, Vibrio parahaemolyticus 690 in phosphate buffered-saline containing 3% NaCl was subjected to sublethal stresses: heat shock at 42 °C for 15 min, acid adaptation at pH 5.0 for 30 min, or cold shock at 20 °C for 4 h. The effect of sublethal stress on the susceptibility of V. parahaemolyticus to a chlorine-containing disinfectant (Clidox-S) and a quaternary ammonium compound (Quatricide) at 25 and 40 °C was investigated. It was found that the sublethal stresses examined enhanced the resistance of V. parahaemolyticus 690 to both disinfectants. Depending on the kinds of sublethal stress, V. parahaemolyticus 690 showed various degrees of enhanced resistance to disinfectants. Furthermore, the phenomenon of enhanced resistance to the disinfectants was more marked at 40 than at 25 °C.

Streptococcus thermophilus is a thermophilic lactic acid bacterium which is used as the starter organism for the fermentation of yoghurt and some cheese. In the present study, S. thermophilus BCRC 14085 was subjected to cold shock treatment by exposure at 10 °C for 2 h. The effect of cold shock on the susceptibility of S. thermophilus in subsequent lethal stress environments such as simulated gastric juice (pH 2.0-3.0), bile solution (2.0%) and various organic acids (0.75 M, pH 3.5) including propionic, lactic, acetic, citric and tartaric acid was investigated. In addition, the survival of cold-shocked and non-shocked S. thermophilus exposed to disinfectants, Clidox-S and Quatricide, were compared. Results revealed that cold shock enhanced the tolerance of S. thermophilus in the presence of simulated gastric juice (pH 2.5 and 2.8), while in bile solution, the population increase of cold-shocked cells is higher than that of non-shocked cells after 12 h of incubation. Furthermore, the susceptibility of S. thermophilus, regardless of cold shock, to organic acid varied with the kinds of organic acid examined. The cold-shocked S. thermophilus showed a significantly less survival (P < 0.05) than that of the non-shocked cells when exposed to lactic or acetic acid. Furthermore, cold shock reduced the survival of S. thermophilus when exposed to Quatricide but not Clidox-S.

In the present study, a solid state fermentation of black soybeans with Bacillus subtilis BCRC 14715 was performed. The effect of fermentation on the changes of total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant activities including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging effect, and Fe 2+ -chelating ability exerted by various solvent (water, 80% methanol, 80% ethanol, 80% acetone) extracts of black soybeans was examined. It was found that fermentation enhanced the total phenolic and flavonoid content as well as antioxidant activity of the black soybean extract. Among the various extracts examined, the acetone extract of fermented black soybeans showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content. The acetone extract and the methanol extract of fermented black soybeans showed the highest DPPH free radical-scavenging effect and Fe 2+ -chelating ability, respectively. Analysis of extraction yields showed that the active principle associated with the DPPH radical-scavenging effect was most efficiently extracted from black soybeans using water, regardless of fermentation. Water and methanol effectively extract the Fe 2+ -chelating principles from non-fermented and fermented black soybeans, respectively.

In this study, the susceptibility of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in different growth phases after exposure to lethal stresses including 47 degrees C and 8% ethanol was first investigated. The effect of a culture's growth phase on both the heat and ethanol shock response of V. parahaemolyticus was then examined. It was found that cells of V. parahaemolyticus in the mid-exponential phase, regardless of adaptation, were most susceptible to environmental stresses, while cells in the stationary phase were least susceptible to the lethal stresses examined. Adaptation with heat shock at 42 degrees C for 45 min or ethanol shock with 5% ethanol for 60 min induced an increased resistance of V. parahaemolyticus to subsequent lethal stresses at 47 degrees C and 8% ethanol. While the adaptation treatments resulted in a reduced resistance of the test organism to pH 4.4 and 20% NaCl. Generally, the extent of changes in the resistance of V. parahaemolyticus to lethal stresses between the adapted and control cells was found to be growth phase dependent. Compared with the respective control cells, the adapted late-exponential phase cells exhibited the greatest extent of change, while the adapted stationary phase cells showed the least change in their resistance to the lethal stresses examined.

In the present study, soymilk is fermented with lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus BCRC 14085, Lactobacillus acidophilus BCRC 14079) and bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium infantis BCRC 14633, B. longum B6) individually, and in combination. The change in the content of various isoflavones (aglycones, glucoside, acetyl- and malonyl-glucosides) and the beta-glucosidase activity in soymilk during fermentation is investigated. It is observed that fermented soymilk contains a lower total isoflavone content (81.94-86.61 microg/ml) than soymilk without fermentation (87.61 microg/ml). Regardless of starter organism employed, fermentation causes a major reduction in the contents of glucoside, malonylglucoside and acetylglucoside isoflavones along with a significant increase of aglycone isoflavones content. The level of change in the content of various isoflavones and beta-glucosidase activity after fermentation varies with the starter organism. Among all the fermented soymilks tested, soymilk fermented with S. thermophilus showed the highest beta-glucosidase activity and the greatest increase in the contents of aglycones. The percentage of daidzein, genistein and glycitein to total isoflavone content in S. thermophilus-fermented soymilk increases from an initial 14.24%, 6.89% and 2.45%, respectively, to 36.20%, 28.80% and 12.44% after 24h of fermentation. Finally, the increase of aglycones and decrease of glucoside isoflavones during fermentation coincides with the increase of beta-glucosidase activity observed in fermented soymilk.

In this study, the susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus CCRC 12657 to water-soluble lactose chitosan derivative as influenced by pH, temperature and cell age were investigated. Besides, the effect of this chitosan derivative on enterotoxin production and cell leakage of S. aureus CCRC 12657 was also examined. It was found that the susceptibility of S. aureus CCRC 12657 to lactose chitosan derivative varied with incubation temperature, pH and cell age. The lactose chitosan derivative exerted a higher antibacterial activity against S. aureus CCRC 12657 at 37°C than at 22 and 5°C. At pH 6.5–7.0, S. aureus CCRC 12657 was more susceptible to the chitosan derivative than at pH 6.0 or 7.5. Besides, cells of S. aureus CCRC 12657 in the late-exponential phase (12 h) were most susceptible to the chitosan derivative followed by cells in the stationary phase (24 h) and mid-exponential phase (6 h). Supernatant of cell suspension showed a marked increase in absorbance at 280 nm after the cells of the test organism were exposed to deionized water-containing lactose chitosan derivative. Furthermore, it was also noted that the lactose chitosan derivative not only caused the death of S. aureus CCRC 12657 but also inhibited enterotoxin production in Brain–Heart infusion broth.

In the present study, Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, V7 and CCRC 14930 were first subjected to heat shock at 45°C for 1 h or at 48°C for 10 min. Thermal tolerance at 55°C and survival of the heat shocked as well as non-heat shocked cells of L. monocytogenes in the presence of 25% NaCl, 0.01% crystal violet, 0.1% H 2 O 2 , and 18% ethanol were examined. It was found that heat shock response of L. monocytogenes varied with strains, the condition of heat shock treatment and type of subsequent stress. Compared with the non-heat shocked cells, the 45°C-1 h heat shocked cells of strains Scott A and V7 showed an increased survival after exposure to 55°C for 60 min. Meanwhile, survival of the 48°C-10 min heat shocked L. monocytogenes cells, regardless of strain, exhibited no significant difference ( p >0.05) with their respective control cells. Generally, heat shocking at 45°C for 1 h increased the tolerance of L. monocytogenes to NaCl, ethanol and crystal violet. On the other hand, heat shocking at 48°C for 10 min although increased the resistance of L. monocytogenes to NaCl reduced its resistance to H 2 O 2 and crystal violet.

In this study, two strains of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus CCRC 14079 and Streptococcus thermophilus CCRC 14085 were used in single culture and in combination with either Bifidobacteria infantis CCRC 14633 or Bifidobacteria longum B6 for the production of fermented soymilk. Changes in the content of some components including sugars, organic acids and acidity in soymilk during fermentation were examined. Results revealed that L. acidophilus and S. thermophilus were capable of metabolizing stachyose and raffinose in soymilk. In addition, S. thermophilus exploited these substrates more efficiently than L. acidophilus . During the 24–32 h of fermentation with single culture of either L. acidophilus or S. thermophilus , content of raffinose, stachyose, sucrose, and pH in soymilk decreased, while content of fructose and glucose plus galactose increased. Introduction of bifidobacteria with lactic acid bacteria as the starter culture affected significantly the sugar and acid contents of the fermented soymilk. A further reduction in the content of stachyose and raffinose and a higher content of sucrose, fructose, glucose plus galactose and acetic acid were found in soymilk fermented with mixed cultures of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria than that fermented with single culture of the respective lactic acid bacteria.

The behaviours of the bifidobacteria B. infantis CCRC 14633 and B. longum B6 and of the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus CCRC 14079, L. bulgaricus CCRC 14009 and Streptococcus thermophilus CCRC 14085 during the fermentation and storage of cultured soymilk drinks were investigated. Soymilk was found to support the simultaneous growth of the bifidobacteria and L. acidophilus or S. thermophilus , but B. infantis and B. longum both had a deleterious effect on the growth of L. bulgaricus in soymilk. Values for pH, ranging from 6·13 to 4·19, and titratable acidity ranging from 0·09% to 0·25% were noted in soymilk after 48 h of fermentation with various combinations of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria. The viable populations of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria decreased rapidly in the fermented soymilk drinks held at 25°C. When sucrose was added, the reduction in numbers were more pronounced, especially for bifidobacteria. However, the numbers of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria showed no marked change in drinks with or without sucrose during storage for 10 days at 5°C.

The fate of various Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains including 933, A8993-C32, MF6707, 18731A, EK250 and EF304 during the fermentation and storage of diluted cultured milk drink fermented with Lactobacillus casei ssp.casei CCRC 11197 or L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus CCRC 14009 were investigated in this study. E. coli O157:H7, regardless of strains, grew rapidly in skim milk and reached a maximum population of c. 8·0–9·0 log cfu ml−1after c. 24 h of cultivation in mixed cultures with L. casei ssp. casei or L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus. However, the population of E. coli O157:H7, depending on the strain and the lactic acid bacteria present, declined as cultivation proceeded further. With the inoculation of c. 5·0 log cfu ml−1E. coli O157:H7, viable cells of this pathogen reduced to non-detectable level in the non-sugar-added cultured drink (pH 3·5) prepared with L. delbrueckii ssp.bulgaricus after one day storage at 7°C. Depending on the strains, E. coli O157:H7 survived in the non-sugar-added cultured drink prepared with L. casei ssp. casei for a period of

In the present study, Cronobacter sakazakii, a foodborne pathogen, was first subjected to heat shock at 47 °C for 15 min. Effect of heat shock on the fatty acid and protein profiles, carbon and nitrogen source requirements as well as the susceptibilities of C. sakazakii to Clidox-S, a chlorine-containing disinfectant and Quatricide, a quaternary ammonium compound were investigated. Results revealed that heat shock increased the proportion of myristic acid (14:0), palmitic acid (16:0) and the ratio of saturated fatty acid to unsaturated fatty acid, while reducing the proportion of palmitoleic acid (16:1) and cis-vacceric acid (18:1). In addition, eleven proteins showed enhanced expression, while one protein showed decreased expression in the heat-shocked compared to the non-heat-shocked cells. Non-heat-shocked cells in the medium supplemented with beef extract exhibited the highest maximum population. On the contrary, the highest maximum population of heat-shocked C. sakazakii was noted in the medium having either tryptone or yeast extract as the nitrogen source. Among the various carbon sources examined, the growth of the test organism, regardless of heat shock, was greatest in the medium having glucose as the carbon source. Furthermore, heat shock enhanced the resistance of C. sakazakii to Clidox-S or Quatricide.

This study determined the survival characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni during the manufacture and storage of Chinese-style sausage. During the manufacture of Chinese-style sausage, the sausage batter was cured at 5-7°C for 12 h. No marked change in the number of the inoculated C. jejuni was observed during the curing period. The number of C. jejuni in the sausage decreased rapidly when subjected to 50°C air-blast drying. After a 6 h drying period, no viable C. jejuni was detected. Stored at 5°C, populations of C. jejuni (1·0 × 10 7 g -1 est.) reduced to non-detectable level in non-vacuum-packed sausage after 21-28 days, while 2·8-3·8 log 10 cfu g -1 was detected in vacuum-packed sausage after 42 days of storage. On the other hand, no viable C. jejuni was detected in either vacuum-packed or non-vacuum-packed sausage after 7 days of storage at 25°C. Refrigerated storage and vacuum packaging thus provide the conditions that slow down the death rate of C. jejuni in sausage.

Food possessing anthocyanins, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity or reducing activity show beneficial effect on human health. To develop healthy food, black soybeans were fermented with either Bacillus subtilis BCRC 14715 or Bacillus sp. CN11, or a mixture of both Bacillus spp. in the present study. The anthocyanin content, the ACE inhibitory activity and the reducing power of the fermented black soybean were then examined. It was found that the ACE inhibitory activity of the extracts of bean and viscous material from the fermented black soybeans varied with extraction solvents and starter organism, yet increased as the fermentation period was extended, regardless of starter organism. After 18 h of fermentation, the water extract of bean showed less ACE inhibitory activity than did the respective 80% ethanol extract. While the water extract of viscous material showed a higher ACE inhibitory activity than the respective ethanol extract. With respect to extraction yield, it was found that the ACE inhibitor in the fermented black soybean could be extracted more efficiently with water than 80% ethanol. Fermentation with B. subtilis BCRC 14715 was also found to increase the anthocyanin content of black soybean and the reducing activity of the extracts. Finally, the 80% ethanol extract showed a higher reducing activity than the water extract.

In the present study, the viability of heat-shocked and non-shocked Cronobacter sakazakii, a foodborne pathogen, after drying and during the fermentation as well as storage of lactic cultured milk was evaluated. It was found that heat shock increased the viability of C. sakazakii. The pure culture of C. sakazakii, regardless of heat shock, grew rapidly in skim milk with a viable population of ca. 8.59-8.70 log cfu/ml after ca. 48 h of cultivation. Thereafter, the viable population of C. sakazakii remained stable. While in the mix culture with Streptococcus thermophilus or Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a marked reduction in the viable population of C. sakazakii was noted after 24 h of cultivation in skim milk. Nevertheless, at the end of fermentation, the heat-shocked C. sakazakii had a viable population of 5.93-6.01 log cfu/ml, which is significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of non-shocked cells of 4.96-4.99 log cfu/ml. While the presence of C. sakazakii did not affect the growth of lactic acid bacteria in skim milk. Additionally, heat shock was found to enhance the survival of C. sakazakii after freeze-drying or spray-drying and during the storage of the lactic fermented milk products (pH 4.3) at 5 degrees C for 48 h.

In this study, the growth and survival of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the presence of 0.0-8.0% ethanol was first examined. V. parahaemolyticus was then exposed to a sub-lethal dose of 5.0% ethanol for 30 and 60 min (ethanol shock). Morphological changes and alterations in cell leakage, thermal tolerance at 47 degrees C, and susceptibility to 8% ethanol and low temperature (4 and -18 degrees C) of V. parahaemolyticus caused by ethanol shock were investigated. In addition, recoveries of the ethanol-shocked cells of V. parahaemolyticus on thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose agar (TCBS) and TSA-3.0% NaCl were also compared. The findings revealed that the presence of ethanol in TSB-3.0% NaCl at 6.0-8.0% and 5.0% or less, exerted bactericidal and partial growth inhibition effect, respectively, on V. parahaemolyticus. Recovery of ethanol-shocked cells of V. parahaemolyticus was significantly (P

To further the goal of developing a probiotic dietary adjunct using soymilk, soymilk is fermented with lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus CCRC 14079 or Streptococcus thermophilus CCRC 14085) and bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium infantis CCRC 14633 or Bifidobacterium longum B6) individually, and in conjunction. We investigate several antioxidative activities including the inhibition of ascorbate autoxidation, the scavenging effect of superoxide anion radicals and hydrogen peroxide, and the reducing activity exerted by different varieties of fermented soymilks. In addition, the effect of spray-drying and freeze-drying on changes in antioxidative activity is examined. We find that in fermented soymilk both the inhibition of ascorbate autoxidation, and the reducing activity and scavenging effect of superoxide anion radicals varied with the starters used, but nevertheless are significantly higher than those found in unfermented soymilk. In general, antioxidative activity in soymilk fermented with lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria simultaneously is significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that fermented with either individually. Moreover, antioxidative activity increases as the fermentation period is extended. However, unfermented soymilk shows an H2O2-scavenging effect, while there is no scavenging effect except for the accumulation of H2O2 in fermented soymilk. Finally, we find that freeze-drying causes a significantly lesser (P < 0.05) reduction in the antioxidative activity of soymilk than does spray-drying. Irrespective of the drying method and the starters used for fermentation. The antioxidative activity of fermented soymilk reduces after drying yet remains higher than that of dried unfermented soymilk.