Relationships between the resistance of yeasts to acetic, propanoic and benzoic acids and to methyl paraben and pH

• Published in: International journal of food microbiology Vol. 8; no. 4; pp. 343 - 349
• Main Author: Warth, A.D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.1989
• Subjects: Acetates - pharmacology; Acetic Acid; acide organique; acidos organicos; agent de conservation; Benzoates - pharmacology; Benzoic Acid; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Food Microbiology; Food Preservation; Food Preservatives - pharmacology; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; levadura; levure; Methyl paraben; organic acids; Parabens - pharmacology; preservadores; Preservative-resistance; preservatives; Propanoic acid; Propionates - pharmacology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Yeast; yeasts; Yeasts - drug effects; Yeasts - growth & development; Zygosaccharomyces bailii; Benzoic acid; Zygosaccharomyces bailii; Yeast; Methyl paraben; Preservative-resistance; Acetic acid; Propanoic acid; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• ISSN: 0168-1605; 1879-3460
• DOI: 10.1016/0168-1605(89)90005-6

Minimum inhibitory concentrations of acetic, propanoic and benzoic acids and methyl paraben were determine at pH 3.50 for 22 isolates of 11 yeast species, differing in their resistance to preservatives. Growth in the presence of benzoic acid enhanced the resistance of yeasts to benzoic and the other weak acid preservatives, but not to methyl paraben. Resistance to acetic, propanoic and benzoic acids was strongly correlated, but was not closely related to resistance to methyl paraben. Minimum pH for growth was not related to resistance to the weak acids. The results suggest that growth in the presence of weak-acid preservatives involves a common resistance mechanism.