From the physicists point of view, water activity is defined in terms of thermodynamic concepts such as the chemical potential and is related to the osmotic pressure of an aqueous solution. When a substance such as salt (sodium cloride) is dissolved in water, the water activity is reduced. This is why salting is an ancient way of preserving foods.
The aW of a food or solution is the ratio of the water vapour pressure of the food or solution (p) to that of pure water (po) at the same temperature: -
aW = p/po
The aW is related to the boiling and freezing points, equilibrium relative humidity (ERH; see above equation), and osmotic pressure. The aW of a solution is a colligative property, i.e. dependent upon the number of particles (molecules or ions) in solution. Increases in solute concentration decreases aW. Microorganisms require water for solution of cell contents and metabolic processes. The cell membrane is semi-permeable (or more correctly selectively permeable), and decreases in the aW of the suspending medium below a certain maximum value (dependent upon the specific organism) will withdraw water from the cell, concentrating the cellular contents until the internal and external aW values are in balance. This concentrating effect slows metabolic processes until at a limiting value, growth ceases. Many microorganisms under osmotic stress (low aW) can accumulate or synthesize compatible solutes to relieve the stress. These solutes generally
interfere little with the metabolic functions of the cell, and may be accumulation of K+ ions, accumulation or synthesis of proline, glutamine, betaine, certain sugars or sugar alcohols (e.g. trehalose in yeasts), etc. However, this activity also requires energy, diverting some of the metabolic activities from growth to accumulation of solutes, and resulting in lowering of growth rates.
From the physicists point of view, water activity is defined in terms of thermodynamic concepts such as the chemical potential and is related to the osmotic pressure of an aqueous solution. When a substance such as salt (sodium cloride) is dissolved in water, the water activity is reduced. This is why salting is an ancient way of preserving foods.
The aW of a food or solution is the ratio of the water vapour pressure of the food or solution (p) to that of pure water (po) at the same temperature: -
aW = p/po
The aW is related to the boiling and freezing points, equilibrium relative humidity (ERH; see above equation), and osmotic pressure. The aW of a solution is a colligative property, i.e. dependent upon the number of particles (molecules or ions) in solution. Increases in solute concentration decreases aW. Microorganisms require water for solution of cell contents and metabolic processes. The cell membrane is semi-permeable (or more correctly selectively permeable), and decreases in the aW of the suspending medium below a certain maximum value (dependent upon the specific organism) will withdraw water from the cell, concentrating the cellular contents until the internal and external aW values are in balance. This concentrating effect slows metabolic processes until at a limiting value, growth ceases. Many microorganisms under osmotic stress (low aW) can accumulate or synthesize compatible solutes to relieve the stress. These solutes generally
interfere little with the metabolic functions of the cell, and may be accumulation of K+ ions, accumulation or synthesis of proline, glutamine, betaine, certain sugars or sugar alcohols (e.g. trehalose in yeasts), etc. However, this activity also requires energy, diverting some of the metabolic activities from growth to accumulation of solutes, and resulting in lowering of growth rates.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
