A new model for germination of fungi.

The objective of this study was to design a germination model dedicated to fungi. The percentage of germinated spores, P(%), depended on the maximum percentage of germination P(max) (%), the germination time, τ (h) and a design parameter, d (-) according to : [formula in text]. The model was capable to fit satisfactorily either apparent symmetric and asymmetric shapes of germination curves. The accuracy of τ determined by using the logistic or the present model was at least twice that obtained by the Gompertz equation. In contrast to the logistic model, the new model is by essence asymmetric. Therefore, its use is consistent with skewed distributions of the individual germination times that were observed experimentally in many cases.

[1]  P. Dantigny,et al.  Relationship between spore germination kinetics and lag time during growth of Mucor racemosus , 2002, Letters in applied microbiology.

[2]  S. Marín,et al.  Water and temperature relations and microconidial germination of Fusarium moniliforme and Fusarium proliferatum from maize. , 1996, Canadian journal of microbiology.

[3]  Xuewen Lu,et al.  Model Fitting and Uncertainty , 2004 .

[4]  P. Gervais,et al.  Water relations of fungal spore germination , 1988, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[5]  Frank Devlieghere,et al.  Standardisation of methods for assessing mould germination: a workshop report. , 2006, International journal of food microbiology.

[6]  R. C. Whiting,et al.  Time of growth model for proteolytic Clostridium botulinum , 1993 .

[7]  P. Dantigny,et al.  Distributions of the growth rate of the germ tubes and germination time of Penicillium chrysogenum conidia depend on water activity. , 2008, Food microbiology.

[8]  Bruce D.L. Fitt,et al.  Effects of temperature on germination and hyphal growth from ascospores of A-group and B-group Leptosphaeria maculans (phoma stem canker of oilseed rape). , 2001 .

[9]  Toshimasa Yano,et al.  DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF THE CHEMOSTAT SUBJECT TO PRODUCT INHIBITION , 1973 .

[10]  Xuewen Lu,et al.  Modeling Microbial Responses in Food , 2003 .

[11]  M. Beyer,et al.  Effect of relative humidity on germination of ascospores and macroconidia of Gibberella zeae and deoxynivalenol production. , 2005, International journal of food microbiology.

[12]  Naresh Magan,et al.  Effect of temperature and pH on water relations of field and storage fungi , 1984 .

[13]  Philippe Dantigny,et al.  Basis of predictive mycology. , 2005, International journal of food microbiology.

[14]  R. Maronna,et al.  A simple descriptive model of filamentous fungi spore germination , 1995 .

[15]  S. Marín,et al.  Modeling of germination and growth of ochratoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus ochraceus as affected by water activity and temperature on a barley-based medium , 2004 .

[16]  Philippe Dantigny,et al.  Predictive mycology: some definitions , 2003 .

[17]  Marcel H Zwietering,et al.  Modeling the effect of ethanol vapor on the germination time of Penicillium chrysogenum. , 2005, Journal of food protection.

[18]  J. Larkin,et al.  MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF MICROBIAL GROWTH: A REVIEW , 1994 .

[19]  K van't Riet,et al.  Modeling of bacterial growth as a function of temperature , 1991, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[20]  S. Marín,et al.  Effects of water activity and temperature on germination and growth profiles of ochratoxigenic Penicillium verrucosum isolates on barley meal extract agar. , 2006, International journal of food microbiology.

[21]  Naresh Magan,et al.  Mould germination: data treatment and modelling. , 2007, International journal of food microbiology.