Listeria monocytogenes Sublethal Injury and Viable-but-Nonculturable State Induced by Acidic Conditions and Disinfectants
Marianna Arvaniti, Panagiοtis Tsakanikas, Vasiliki Papadopoulou, Artemis Giannakopoulou, Panagiotis Skandamis
Abstract
Sublethally injured and VBNC cells may evade detection, resulting in underestimation of a food product's microbial load. Under favorable conditions, cells may regain their growth capacity and acquire new resistant characteristics, posing a major threat for public health. Induction of the VBNC state is crucial for foodborne pathogens, such as L. monocytogenes, the detection of which relies almost exclusively on the use of culture recovery techniques. In the present study, we confirmed that sublethal injury is an initial stage of dormancy in L. monocytogenes that is followed by the VBNC state. Our results showed that PAA induced SCVs (a phenomenon potentially triggered by external factors) and the VBNC state in L. monocytogenes, indicating that tests of lethality based only on culturability may provide false-positive results regarding the effectiveness of an inactivation treatment.