Extraction of activated sludge bacteria exopolymers by ultrasonication.

Ultrasonication for the extraction of activated sludge exopolymers was evaluated by total cell count, exopolymer extraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A high deflocculation was achieved after 30 s of sonication in PBS (phosphate-buffered saline). TEM showed that cell lysis was minimal only when sludges were sonicated for 30 s. For sludges sonicated for 30, 90 and 420 s and stained with Ruthenium Red, exopolymers were not extracted on a large scale without considerable cell lysis. Sludges sonicated for 30 s in EDTA gave a larger fraction of damaged cells and also showed copious amounts of attached exopolymers.

Effect of chlorine, sodium chloride, trisodium phosphate, and ultraviolet radiation on the reduction of Yersinia enterocolitica and mesophilic aerobic bacteria from eggshell surface.

Eggshell sanitizing practices are necessary to improve microbiological safety of fresh hen eggs and their products. In this work, the effects of 100 mg/liter free chlorine (chl), 3% sodium chloride (NaCl), 1, 5, and 12% trisodium phosphate (TSP) in wash solutions, and UVR (ultraviolet radiation; 4.573 microW/cm2) were studied at different times on uninoculated and Yersinia enterocolitica-inoculated eggs. On uninoculated eggs, the best results were obtained with 100 mg/liter chlorine and UV exposure for >25 min, with reductions of 1.28 and 1.60 log cycles, respectively, compared to the average bacterial count (4.55 log CFU/egg) on the control (untreated eggs). On Y. enterocolitica-inoculated eggs, highest reductions of the average bacterial count (7.35 log CFU/egg) were obtained with 5 and 12% TSP and 100 mg/liter chl. The decrease obtained with 12% TSP (3.74-log reduction) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those obtained with the remaining treatments. Y. enterocolitica was more resistant to UVR than the eggshell natural mesophilic aerobic microflora, except when low inoculum (4.39 log CFU/egg) was assayed. Changes in eggshell microstructure were measured by the blue lake staining method. The presence of Yersinia and Salmonella in eggshell natural flora was also investigated.