Accelerated storage testing of freeze-dried <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> BTP1, BB2 and PI9 strains

Abstract

Freeze-dried cultures of Pseudomonas fluorescens are used in agriculture and microbiological industry. However, P. fluorescens is very susceptible to damage during freeze-drying and subsequent storage and it would be useful to increase culture viability during storage. The viability of freeze-dried P. fluorescens strains (BTP1, PI9 and BB2) was evaluated by using the Arrhenius model. This model was described by measuring the reaction rate constants (D or k) and temperature sensitivity of rate constant (z or Ea). The freeze-dried P. fluorescens strains were stored in glass tubes at 60, 37 and 4°C for 8 h, 28 days and two months, respectively. D value decreased or k increased with an increase of the storage temperature. By comparing their decimal reduction time (D), we observed that BB2 strain was more resistant than BTP1 and PI9 at 37 and 60°C. The activation energy of all P. fluorescens strains were not significantly different and thermal inactivation may occur by the same mechanism. Thus, it was possible to compare rate constants of survival for the freeze-dried P. fluorescens strains. These results will be useful to the development of improved reference materials and samples held in culture collections.

Key words: Arrhenius model, accelerated storage testing (AST), freeze-drying, storage stability.