Comparison of the Standard Culture Method and Real-time PCR for the Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Seafoods and Vegetables

• Published in: Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology Vol. 42; no. 3
• Main Authors: Chon, J.W., Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Hyeon, J.Y., Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Hwang, I.G., National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation, Korea Food and Drug Administration, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Kwak, H.S., National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation, Korea Food and Drug Administration, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Han, J.A., National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation, Korea Food and Drug Administration, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Chung, Y.H., Test and Research Center, Korea Consumer Protection Board, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Song, K.Y., Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Seo, K.H., Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 01.06.2010
• Subjects: comparison; culture method; real-time PCR; VIBRIO PARAHAEMOLYTICUS
• ISSN: 0367-6293

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus), which is commonly found in raw seafood, causes gastroenteritis in humans. Rapid and effective methods have been developed as culture methods require up to 5-7 days. In this study, real-time PCR was compared with the standard culture method for detecting V. parahaemolyticus in seafood and radish sprout samples. Five hundred grams of the samples were artificially contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus then divided into 20 samples. The samples were incubated in alkaline peptone water and then streaked onto thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose agar. Biochemical tests for suspicious colonies were performed using the API 20NE strip. In parallel, real-time PCR was performed targeting the toxR gene using the enrichment broth. The real-time PCR was sensitive in discriminating V. parahaemolyticus from other foodborne pathogens. The detection limit of the real-time PCR was 10³ CFU/mL in phosphate-buffered saline. Although the real-time PCR detected more positive samples (76 out of 180, 42%) than the culture method (66 out of 180, 37%), there was no significant statistical difference (p greater than 0.05) between the two methods. In conclusion, real-time PCR assays could be an alternative to the standard culture method for detecting V. parahaemolyticus in seafood and radish sprouts, which has many advantages in terms of detection time, labor, and sensitivity.