Changes in physiological states of Salmonella Typhimurium measured by qPCR with PMA and DyeTox13 Green Azide after pasteurization and UV treatment

Preliminary Study of the Characterization of the Viable but Noncultivable State of Yersinia enterocolitica Induced by Chloride and UV Irradiation

The viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state is a survival strategy for many foodborne pathogens under adverse conditions. Yersinia enterocolitica (Y. enterocolitica) as a kind of primary foodborne pathogen, and it is crucial to investigate its survival strategies and potential risks in the food chain. In this study, the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and chlorine treatment in disinfecting the foodborne pathogen Y. enterocolitica was investigated. The results indicated that both UV irradiation and chlorine treatment can induce the VBNC state in Y. enterocolitica. The bacteria completely lost culturability after being treated with 25 mg/L of NaClO for 30 min and a UV dose of 100 mJ/cm². The number of culturable and viable cells were detected using plate counting and a combination of fluorescein and propidium iodide (live/dead cells). Further research found that these VBNC cells exhibited reduced intracellular Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) levels, and increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to non-induced cells. Morphologically, the cells changed from a rod shape to a shorter, coccobacillary shape with small vacuoles forming at the edges, indicating structural changes. Both condition-induced VBNC-state cells were able to resuscitate in tryptic soy broth (TSB) medium supplemented with Tween 80, sodium pyruvate, and glucose. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the survival mechanisms of Y. enterocolitica in the environment and are of significant importance for the development of effective disinfection strategies.

Quantitative detection and survival analysis of VBNC Salmonella Typhimurium in flour using droplet digital PCR and DNA-intercalating dyes

The difficulty in detecting viable but non-culturable (VBNC) Salmonella by culture-dependent methods poses a risk to food safety. In our study, we applied a viability test to Salmonella following a lethal treatment and to flour samples inoculated with Salmonella to evaluate the effectiveness of viability polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Our findings revealed that the combination of both ddPCR and qPCR with those DNA-intercalating dyes could quantify viable cells at low concentrations when the plate counting method failed to detect them post-inactivation. Prolonged UV exposure did not induce cell membrane disruption, as confirmed with PMA-ddPCR, with insignificant differences in gene copies. However, samples exposed to DyeTox13 and DyeTox13 + EMA showed lower gene copy numbers, implying that enzymatic activity was decreased by UV exposure duration. In addition, temperature-dependent survival in flour revealed uniform decay rates and D values (time required for a 1 log reduction) of DNA in untreated samples across various temperatures. By contrast, different decay rates were observed with DNA-intercalating dyes (DyeTox13 and DyeTox13 + EMA), showing faster metabolic activity loss at higher temperatures in flour. The decay rates and D values, determined through plate counting and those DNA-intercalating dyes, indicated the potential presence of VBNC Salmonella. A strong correlation between DyeTox13 dyes and the plate counting method suggested DyeTox13 as a rapid alternative for detecting Salmonella in flour. The ddPCR with DNA-intercalating dyes could effectively evaluate Salmonella viability, facilitating more precise monitoring of VBNC in food.

IMPORTANCE

Salmonella, a major foodborne pathogen, poses significant risks, particularly to vulnerable groups like infants, older people, and the immunocompromised. Accurate detection is vital for public health and food safety, given its potential to cause severe and life-threatening symptoms. Our study demonstrated digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) with DNA-intercalating dyes for identifying the different physiological statuses of Salmonella. Also, the application of ddPCR with DNA-intercalating dyes offers quantification of viable cells post-disinfection as an alternative method in food. Utilizing ddPCR and DNA-intercalating dyes, we enhanced the detection of VBNC Salmonella, a form often undetectable by conventional methods. This innovative approach could significantly improve the precision and efficiency of detection for viable Salmonella. By providing deeper insights into its transmission potential, our method is a critical tool in preventing outbreaks and ensuring the safety of food products. This research contributes substantially to global efforts in controlling foodborne illnesses and safeguarding public health.

Rapid and Sensitive Quantification of Bacterial Viability Using Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensing

Bacterial viability assessment plays an important role in food-borne pathogen detection and antimicrobial drug development. Here, we first used GelRed as a DNA-binding stain for a bacterial viability assessment. It was found that live bacteria were able to exclude GelRed, which however could easily penetrate dead ones and be absorbed nonspecifically on the bacterial periplasm. Cations were used to reduce the nonspecific adsorption and greatly increase the red fluorescence ratio of dead to live bacteria. Combined with SYTO 9 (a membrane-permeable dye) for double-staining, a ratiometric fluorescent method was established. Using Escherichia coli O157:H7 as a bacteria model, the ratiometric fluorescent method can probe dead bacteria as low as 0.1%. A linear correlation between the ratiometric fluorescence and the theoretical ratio of dead bacteria was acquired, with a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.97. Advantages in sensitivity, accuracy, and safety of the GelRed/SYTO9-based ratiometric fluorescent method against traditional methods were demonstrated. The established method was successfully applied to the assessment of germicidal efficacy of different heat treatments. It was found that even 50 °C treatment could lead to the death of minor bacteria. The as-developed method has many potential applications in microbial researches, and we believe it could be expanded to the viability assessment of mammalian cells.

Recent Methods for the Viability Assessment of Bacterial Pathogens: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Viability assessment is a critical step in evaluating bacterial pathogens to determine infectious risks to public health. Based on three accepted viable criteria (culturability, metabolic activity, and membrane integrity), current viability assessments are categorized into three main strategies. The first strategy relies on the culturability of bacteria. The major limitation of this strategy is that it cannot detect viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria. As the second strategy, based on the metabolic activity of bacteria, VBNC bacteria can be detected. However, VBNC bacteria sometimes can enter a dormant state that allows them to silence reproduction and metabolism; therefore, they cannot be detected based on culturability and metabolic activity. In order to overcome this drawback, viability assessments based on membrane integrity (third strategy) have been developed. However, these techniques generally require multiple steps, bulky machines, and laboratory technicians to conduct the tests, making them less attractive and popular applications. With significant advances in microfluidic technology, these limitations of current technologies for viability assessment can be improved. This review summarized and discussed the advances, challenges, and future perspectives of current methods for the viability assessment of bacterial pathogens.

PCR Mediated Nucleic Acid Molecular Recognition Technology for Detection of Viable and Dead Foodborne Pathogens

Living foodborne pathogens pose a serious threat to public and population health. To ensure food safety, it is necessary to complete the detection of viable bacteria in a short time (several hours to 1 day). However, the traditional methods by bacterial culture, as the gold standard, are cumbersome and time-consuming. To break through the resultant research bottleneck, PCR mediated nucleic acid molecular recognition technologies, including RNA-based reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) and DNA-based viability PCR (vPCR) have been developed in recent years. They not only sensitively amplify detection signals and quickly report detection results, but also distinguish viable and dead bacteria. Therefore, this review introduces these PCR-mediated techniques independent of culture for viable and dead foodborne pathogen detection from the nucleic acid molecular recognition principal level and describes their whole-process applications in food quality supervision, which provides a useful reference for the development of detection of foodborne pathogens in the future.