超音波キャビテーションによる細菌及び菌類の不活性化

抄録

Inactivation of microorganism (bacteria, fungi, alga and plankton) using ultrasonic waves has attracted significant attention. However, the details of the inactivation mechanisms have not been cleared. This study aims to clarify the inactivation mechanisms of bacteria and fungi by acoustic cavitation. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) were used as the test microorganism. Inactivation was attempted by ultrasonic irradiation at frequencies of 20 kHz to 4.4 MHz and an acoustic power power of 10 W. Different frequency dependences of the inactivation were confirmed in E. coli, S. cerevisiae and B. subtilis. Based on these data, the mechanism of inactivation of microorganism is discussed with a focus on cell characteristics.