Modelling germination kinetics of spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum: a tool for predictive microbiology

Abstract

Germination of spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum between 9° and 45°C was followed by the decrease in optical density of the spore suspension. An empirical equation with three parameters is proposed to describe the time‐course of spore germination. Each parameter of the model has a direct biological significance and is modelled vs temperature. In the framework of predictive microbiology, the equation may be used for the prediction of the overall lag time of growth.

Germination, Growth, and Toxin Production of Nonproteolytic Clostridium botulinum as Affected by Multiple Barriers

“…Complete germination of the spore population does not immediately occur upon exposure to a germinant even if environmental conditions allow for rapid outgrowth. In modeling the germination kinetics of C. tyrobutyricum, Mafart (1995) described the decrease in the specific rate of germination over time. Kinetics of spore germination were found to have a significant influence on the lag time before vegetative growth.…”

Life‐cycle kinetic model for endospore‐forming bacteria, including germination and sporulation

“…Since normal vegetative Bacillus has 3-5 mm length and 1-3 mm width, the volume of the spore's sphere is 25% of the volume of the cylinder of the vegetative cell. In the case of activation velocity, several researchers reported a germination period of less than 30 min (Hashimoto et al, 1969;McCormick, 1965;Vary and Halvorso, 1965) or less than 1 day (Billon et al, 1997;Chea et al, 2000;Mafart, 1995). We considered that the germination period is 2 h, giving an activation velocity of 12 day À1 .…”

Quantifying the combined effects of the heating time, the temperature and the recovery medium pH on the regrowth lag time of Bacillus cereus spores after a heat treatment

“…As However, the mathematical description of the growth after heat treatment as a function of the 48 duration and the intensity of the thermal stress was very scarcely studied. 49 Mafart (1995) proposed a model describing the part of the lag corresponding to the activation 50 and the germination of spores. Bréand et al (1997Bréand et al ( , 1999 …”