Modelling the effect of a heat shock and germinant concentration on spore germination of a wild strain of Bacillus cereus.

The effect of different concentrations of L-alanine on the germination kinetics of a strain of Bacillus cereus isolated from liquid egg after heat shock during sporulation was studied. Germination at 30 degrees C and was followed by spectrophotometry. The higher the concentration of L-alanine within the range 100-1 mM the faster was the germination obtained. On the other hand, the application of a heat shock had an effect on the germination producing a diminution on the germination kinetic rates. The Weibull distribution function, a model that has been used for describing inactivation kinetics , was used for modelling germination experimental data. Results indicated that the Weibull distribution function model produced a good description of experimental data.