LINDANE RESIDUE IN CUCUMBER FERMENTATION^a,b,c,

Abstract

Within recent years many synthetic pesticides have been developed and used for the protection of food crops. These powerful pest control agents have received much attention from investigators both as to their toxicological nature and their ability to alter food flavor.The influence of pesticide residues on food fermentations has not been so widely studied as the flavor effect. The problem has, however, received the attention of Adams (1) who, working with the fungicide captan, found that yeast fermentation of cherry juice was delayed 24 hours and 30 days by 7 and 10 p.p.m., respectively, of the material.Lindane, the gamma isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane, is a very effective insecticide in controlling certain cucumber insects. A metabolic relationship between lindane and i-inositol has been reported by several investigators for yeasts (11, 13, 15), mold (3, P), other organisms (4, 10) and enzymes (7,12,14). The study reported here was made to ascertain the influence of lindane residue on the cucumber fermentation and on certain species of the microflora. EXPERIMENTAL Materials and methods.To study the effect of lindane spray residue on cucumber fermentatiorf, the lindane was introduced by 3 methods : spraying harvested cucumbers just prior to brining; using recommended insect control schedules with lindane on replicated experimental field plots; and adding known amounts of pure lindane and i-inositol to highly defined liquid media for growing pure cultures of micro-organisms.For the first method (1953), harvested cucumbers were divided into two approximately equal lots. One lot was used for the controls. The other lot was sprayed with lindane (1 lb. 25% wettable per 100 gal.) as follows : cucumbers were spread one layer thick on a tarpaulin and the spray was applied uniformly over the sample by single passes of the nozzle held about 18 inches above the cucumbtrs. The control lot was sprayed with tap water only. Three replications of each treatment were made. One hundred pounds of cucumbers were weighed into each 21-gallon keg and covered with 10 gallons of brine. The concentration of the brine for the first replication was 45" Salometer; this brine density was maintained by addition of salt during the active fermentation period.Brine concentration for the second replication was also 45", but in this case it was permitted to equalize with the cucumbers. Cucumbers in the third replication were covered with a 35" Salometer brine which was permitted to equalize with the cucumbers during the fermentation period. The growth of film yeasts during the active fermentation was suppressed by a G-E Sun lamp and the ambient air temperature of the room was not controlled.Cucumbers from replicated insect-disease control field plots were used for the second method (1954). Four treatment schedules and a control were employed ; namely, Block I

Rumen Bacterial and Protozoal Responses to Insecticide Substrates

“…Harris (1955) reviewed the use of microorganisms as analytical tools. Johnston (1957) reported that lindane residues in cucumber fermentation inhibited yeast growth response in the microflora, and reduced the competition for essential nutrients for the fastidious lactic acid-producing bacteria. Other workers have shown that microorganisms are active in hydrolyzing l\Iounter, Baxter, and Chanutin, 1955) and oxidizing certain organophosphate esters.…”