The effect of citric acid on growth of proteolytic strains of Clostridium botulinum.

In strictly anaerobic conditions in a culture medium adjusted to pH 5.2 with HCl and incubated at 30 degrees C, inocula containing less than 10 vegetative bacteria of Clostridium botulinum ZK3 (type A) multiplied to give greater than 10(8) bacteria per ml in 3 d. Growth from an inoculum of between 10 and 100 spores occurred after a delay of 10-20 weeks. Citric acid concentrations of 10-50 mmol/l at pH 5.2 inhibited growth from both vegetative bacteria and spore inocula, a concentration of 50 mmol/l increasing the number of vegetative bacteria or of spores required to produce growth by a factor of approximately 10(6). The citric acid also reduced the concentration of free Ca2+ in the medium. The inhibitory effect of citric acid on vegetative bacteria at pH 5.2 could be prevented by the addition of Ca2+ or Mg2+ and greatly reduced by Fe2+ and Mn2+. The addition of Ca2+, but not of the remaining divalent metal ions, restored the concentration of free Ca2+ in the medium to that in the citrate-free medium. The inhibitory effect of citric acid on growth from a spore inoculum was only partially prevented by Ca2+. Citric acid (50 mmol/l) did not inhibit growth of strain ZK3 at pH 6 despite the greater chelating activity of citrate at pH 6 than at pH 5.2. The effect of citric acid and Ca2+ at pH 5.2 on vegetative bacteria of strains VL1 (type A) and 2346 and B6 (proteolytic type B) was similar to that on strain ZK3.