It is generally believed that the formation of trimethylamine (TMA) in fish muscle during deterioration results primarily from the reduction of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) by bacteria. However, the amount of TMA produced does not always run in parallel with the growth of bacteria, especially when the fish muscle is kept at lower temperatures. In the present study, the reduction of TMAO by certain bacteria was examined at different temperatures, either in the culture medium or on the reaction occurring with washed cells.
Results obtained are summarized as follows:
1. When the organisms were cultured in a nutrient broth containing 0.01M TMAO, the TMA formation by
E. coli was apparently retarded at 20°C, and almost no appreciable amount of TMA was formed at 10°C (Fig. 1). In the case of
Pseudomonas species, however, the amount of TMA reached its maximum level after one day at 20°C to 30°C, and after four days at 10°C (Fig. 2).
2. In the reaction using washed cells of test organisms, the highest TMAO reductase activity of
E. coli was observed at 40°C, while those of
Pseudomonas species were between 30°C to 40°C. As to the formation of TMAO reductase of the test organisms, it was confirmed that the enzyme was not an adaptive but a constitutive one. Noticeably, the cells harvested from low temperature cultures exhibited almost the same rate of TMAO reductase activities as those grown at higher temperatures.
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