Organic acids make Escherichia coli more resistant to pulsed electric fields at acid pH

Stationary growth phase cells of Escherichia coli were more pulsed electric fields (PEF) resistant in citrate–phosphate McIlvaine buffer at pH 4.0 than at pH 7.0. The greater PEF resistance was also confirmed in fruit juices of similar acid pH. In this work we studied whether the higher PEF resistance of E. coli at acid pH was due to the low pH itself or to the interaction of the components of the treatment medium with the cells. The protective effect on E. coli cells was due to the presence of organic acids such as citric, acetic, lactic or malic at pH 4.0. The protective effect of citric acid at pH 4.0 depended on its concentration. A linear relationship was observed between the Log10 of the citric acid concentration and the degree of inactivation. Organic acids contained in laboratory treatment media (citrate–phosphate buffer) or in fruit juices did not sensitize E. coli cells to PEF but, on the contrary, they induced a protective effect that made E. coli cells more resistant at pH 4.0 than at neutral pH. This work could be useful for improving food preservation by PEF technology and it contributes to the knowledge of the mechanism of microbial inactivation by PEF.