High voltage pulse application for the destruction of the Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica

Indirect Contact Chamber with Dielectric Layers for Pulsed Electric Field Treatment of Microorganisms

Investigation of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment of yeast at 20 kV/cm using chambers with BaTiO3 dielectric layers was conducted in this study. The sterile rate as well as concentrations of metallic ions and hydroxyl radicals were measured to assess the PEF performance. The results indicated that generation of metallic ions could be reduced by 90%. However, a much higher field strength would be required for satisfactory sterilization due to the Maxwell-Wagner field relaxation, and reactions between the dielectric barriers and liquid could also occur. It was also proven that the continuous presence of a sufficient electric field is the main factor that inactivates the microorganism.

Microfluidic Irreversible Electroporation-A Versatile Tool to Extract Intracellular Contents of Bacteria and Yeast

Exploring the dynamic behavior of cellular metabolism requires a standard laboratory method that guarantees rapid sampling and extraction of the cellular content. We propose a versatile sampling technique applicable to cells with different cell wall and cell membrane properties. The technique is based on irreversible electroporation with simultaneous quenching and extraction by using a microfluidic device. By application of electric pulses in the millisecond range, permanent lethal pores are formed in the cell membrane of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, facilitating the release of the cellular contents; here demonstrated by the measurement of glucose-6-phosphate and the activity of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The successful application of this device was demonstrated by pulsed electric field treatment in a flow-through configuration of the microfluidic chip in combination with sampling, inactivation, and extraction of the intracellular content in a few seconds. Minimum electric field strengths of 10 kV/cm for E. coli and 7.5 kV/cm for yeast S. cerevisiae were required for successful cell lysis. The results are discussed in the context of applications in industrial biotechnology, where metabolomics analyses are important.

Electroporation of cells in microfluidic devices: a review

In recent years, several publications on microfluidic devices have focused on the process of electroporation, which results in the poration of the biological cell membrane. The devices involved are designed for cell analysis, transfection or pasteurization. The high electric field strengths needed are induced by placing the electrodes in close proximity or by creating a constriction between the electrodes, which focuses the electric field. Detection is usually achieved through fluorescent labeling or by measuring impedance. So far, most of these devices have only concerned themselves solely with the electroporation process, but integration with separation and detection processes is expected in the near future. In particular, single-cell content analysis is expected to add further value to the concept of the microfluidic chip. Furthermore, if advanced pulse schemes are employed, such microdevices can also enhance research into intracellular electroporation.

Generation of bactericidal and mutagenic components by pulsed electric field treatment

Inactivation of stationary phase Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria innocua (10(8) CFU/ml) by high intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) was studied in water and different buffers at pH 7.0. The fraction of survivors after PEF treatment with 300 pulses (5 Hz) of 26.7 kV/cm and a pulse width of 2 micros varied between 0.050% and 55%, but was always lower in Tris-HCl buffer than in HEPES-KOH buffer and water. When cell suspensions were stored for 24 h at 25 degrees C after PEF treatment, the survivor fraction further decreased, except for E. coli in water and HEPES-KOH. By following the survival of untreated cells added to water or buffers that were previously PEF treated, this secondary inactivation could be ascribed to the formation of bactericidal components as a result of PEF treatment. Buffers and water containing 10 mM NaCl became bactericidal against all three bacteria upon PEF treatment, and the bactericidal effect could be neutralized by thiosulfate, suggesting that chlorine and/or hypochlorite had been formed. Also in the absence of Cl- ions, PEF treated water and buffers had bactericidal properties, but the specificity of the bactericidal effects against different bacteria differed depending on the buffer used. In the Ames mutagenicity test using His- S. Typhimurium mutant strains, PEF treated Tris buffers containing 10 mM Cl- ions, as well as PEF treated grape juice showed a mutagenic effect. The implications of these findings for the safety of PEF treated foods are discussed.

Pectin methyl esterase and natural microflora of fresh mixed orange and carrot juice treated with pulsed electric fields

The effects of pulsed electric fields (PEFs) on pectin methyl esterase (PME), molds and yeast, and total flora in fresh (nonpasteurized) mixed orange and carrot juice were studied. The PEF effect was more extensive when juices with high levels of initial PME activity were subjected to treatment and when PEF treatment (at 25 kV/cm for 340 micros) was combined with a moderate temperature (63 degrees C), with the maximum level of PME inactivation being 81.4%. These conditions produced 3.7 decimal reductions in molds and yeast and 2.4 decimal reductions in total flora. Experimental inactivation data for PME, molds and yeast, and total flora were fitted to Bigelow, Hülsheger, and Weibull inactivation models by nonlinear regression. The best fit (lowest mean square error) was obtained with the Weibull model.