THERMAL DESTRUCTION KINETICS OF A LACTIC STREPTOCOCCAL BACTERIOPHAGE.

The aim of the study was to elucidate the kinetics of thermal destruction of a lactic streptococcal bacteriophage, and to determine the effect of varied propagation and heating conditions on its thermoresistance. The propagation medium and temperature affect the degree of thermostability of the phage produced; higher incubation temperature enhances thermostability. The composition and reaction of the heating menstruum are also of significance. Phage thermoresistance increased significantly with the phosphate and whey levels. The effect of various minerals was difficult to resolve, mainly because of the bimodal nature of the survival curve. Thermoresistance was highest at pH 6, intermediate at pH 7, and lowest at pH 8. The kinetics of inactivation of this phage deviated from those of a first-order reaction. Consequently, a special treatment of the data was required in order to compute the various thermodynamic parameters that define the reaction. The high positive values of Q(10), energy of inactivation, and entropy appear to indict protein denaturation as the cause of phage destruction.