Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T16:15:46.117Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Use of the Limulus test to determine the hygienic status of milk products as characterized by levels of Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide present

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

Karlo Hansen ,
Tom Mikkelsen  and
Aage Møller-Madsen
Karlo Hansen
Affiliation:
The Danish Government Research Institute for Dairy Industry, DK-3400 Hillerød, Denmark,
Tom Mikkelsen
Affiliation:
University Clinic for Infectious Diseases, M 7701 Rigshospitalet, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark,
Aage Møller-Madsen
Affiliation:
The Danish Government Research Institute for Dairy Industry, DK-3400 Hillerød, Denmark,
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The Limulus test was used to investigate the occurrence of Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in milk and dairy products. This test specifically detects the extremely heat-resistant LPS, and so determines the total accumulated quantity of LPS in a product whether it has been heat-treated or not. A positive correlation between number of psychrotrophic bacteria and amount of LPS in fresh farm milk was found (r = 0·63). Fresh farm milk and freshly produced market milk contained on average < 1 ng LPS/ml. The Limulus test is considered highly suitable for use in the dairy industry, being a method which will characterize quickly and specifically the hygienic level of a product by the extent of the cumulative contamination by Gram-negative bacteria.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 49 , Issue 2 , May 1982 , pp. 323 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bang, F. B. 1956 A bacterial disease of Limulus polyphemus. Bulletin of Johns Hopkins Hospital 98 325–337Google ScholarPubMed
Buchholz-Berchtold, S. 1977 [Detection of endotoxins of Gram-negative organisms in milk by the Limulus test.] Dissertation. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, MunichGoogle Scholar
Hansen, K. 1981 The Limulus amoebocyte lysate test, a new method for detecting the cumulative content of Gram-negative bacteria in foods. Paper presented at the I.D.F. symposium ‘Bacteriological Quality of Raw Milk’, Kiel, 09 1981. The paper is available in English from the Danish Government Research Institute for Dairy Industry, DK-3400 Hillerød, DenmarkGoogle Scholar
Hartman, I., Ziv, G., & Saran, A. 1976 Application of the Limulus amoebocyte lysate test to the detection of Gram-negative bacterial endotoxins in normal and mastitic milk. Research in Veterinary Science 20 342–343CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Dairy Federation 1966 Standard routine method for the count of coliform bacteria in raw milk. Standard no. 39Google Scholar
Jay, J. M. 1981 Rapid estimation of microbial numbers in fresh ground beef by use of the Limulus test, Journal of Food Protection 44 275–278CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levin, J., & Bang, F. B. 1964 The role of endotoxin in the extracellular coagulation of Limulus blood. Bulletin of Johns Hopkins Hospital 115 265–274Google ScholarPubMed
Mikkelsen, T. 1980 a Dolkhaler sporer endotoxiner. Naturens Verden 5–6 168–176Google Scholar
Mikkelsen, T. 1980 b Water – the sine qua non of life. Aqua: International Journal of Water Supply Associations 0038–0043Google Scholar
Møller-Madsen, A., Mikkelsen, T., & Hansen, K. 1980 [Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaceh-aride) in milk and dairy products.] Beretning, Statens Forsøgsmejeri no. 240Google Scholar
Südi, J., Suhren, G., Heeschen, W., & Tolle, A. 1981 [Development of a miniaturized Limulus test in a microtitre system for the quantitative detection of Gram-negative bacteria in milk and milk products.] Milchwissenschaft 36 193–198Google Scholar
Terplan, G., Bierl, J., Grove, H.-H., & Zaadhof, K.-J. 1981 [The Limulus amoebocyte lysate test for the estimation of good manufacturing practice in food production.] Archiv für Lebensmittelhygiene 32 15–19Google Scholar
Westphal, O. 1975 Bacterial endotoxins. International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology 49 1–43CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yin, E. T., Galanos, C., Kinsky, S.Bradshaw, R. A., Wessler, S., Lüderitz, O., & Sarmiento, M. E. 1972 Picogram-sensitive assay for endotoxin: Gelation of Limulus polyphemus blood cell lysate induced by purified lipopolysaccharides and lipid A from Gram-negative bacteria. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 261 284–289Google ScholarPubMed