DETECTION OF MICROBIAL-CONTAMINATION IN FERMENTATION PROCESSES - MASS-SPECTROMETRIC DETERMINATION OF GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA IN LEUCONOSTOC-MESENTEROIDES CULTURES

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to detect the presence of Enterobacter cloacae in cultures of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, an organism used in an industrial process for production of dextrane. The penta‐fluorobenzoyl‐methyl ester derivative of 3‐hydroxy‐myristic acid, a characteristic compound of gram‐negative bacteria, was used as the analyte. By using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring, E. cloacae was determined over the range of 1 ppm to 1% in cultures of L. mesenteroides. The proposed analytical approach represents a useful alternative to conventional methods for determining contaminating organisms in industrial fermentation processes. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.