Influence of the modelling approach on the estimation of the minimum temperature for growth in Belehradek-type models

This paper compares three different approaches for describing the growth ra te dependence on sub-optimal temperatures {eg, the square-roof model descri bed by Ratkowsky et al (1982. J. Bacteriol. 154, 1222-1226):root mu =b.(T - T-min1) or mu =b(2).(T - T-min1)(2), the model originally found by Belehra dek (1926a. Nature 118, 117-118): mu = a.(T - T-0)(alpha) and a dimensionle ss analysis described previously (Dantigny 1998. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotech nol. 21, 215-218.): mu (dim) = [mu/mu (opt)] = [T - T-min/T-opt - T-min](alpha) = [T-dim](alpha )}. Data sets, growth rate vs temperature, have been taken from the literature for various organisms (e.g Lactobacillus plantarum,Yersinia enterolitica an d Acinetobacter). Firstly, this paper analyses the effect of using dimensio nless (e.g. T-dim and mu (dim)) or natural variables (e.g. T and mu) on the estimation of the minimum temperature for growth (e.g T-0 and T-min) and t he alpha value Secondly, the Belehradek model is compared to the square-roo f model by using the natural variables. It has been demonstrated that the u se of the square-root model leads to an under-estimation of the minimum tem perature for growth when the alpha -value is significantly less than 2. In such a case, if has been highlighted that the dimensionless approach provid es a closer estimation of the experimental minimum temperature for growth t han the square-root model (C) 2000 Academic Press.