ANALYSIS OF HOPANOIDS IN BACTERIA INVOLVED IN FOOD-TECHNOLOGY AND FOOD CONTAMINATION

Hopanoids are pentacyclic triterpenoids which are believed to act as r einforcers of membranes in certain prokaryotic microorganisms. A rapid and sensitive method for their screening in bacteria was elaborated, involving extraction of non-saponifiable lipids and the analysis by ga s chromatography-mass spectrometry, selectively monitoring the ion of m/z=191, Using the method, hopanoids were detected in strains of Aceto bacter pasteurianus, but were found to be absent in lactic acid bacter ia (Lactobacillus spp., Lactococcus spp.) and in food-contaminating ba cteria (Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Yersinia spp. and others). (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by E lsevier Science B.V.