Development of an enzymatic method to quantify methyl ketones from bacterial origin

SILVINA GRACIELA FADDA; ANDRÉ LEBERT; R. TALON,

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY

ACS publications

Lugar: Washington, DC; Año: 2002 vol. 50 p. 2471 - 2474

0021-8561

Methyl ketones are detected in dry fermented sausages in which they contribute to the cured aroma. They have been associated with the inoculation of Staphylococcus carnosus used as starter culture. To evaluate the ability of bacterial starters to produce methyl ketones it was necessary to develop a rapid method. The method consists of a reaction catalysed by a commercial NADPH-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase that reduces the 2‑pentanone to its secondary alcohol. The linearity, the specificity and the robustness were studied. Its accuracy was confirmed by comparison with the gas chromatography technique. Finally the method was validated on biological samples such as the 2‑pentanone produced by Staphylococcus carnosus. The enzymatic method offers some advantages over that of the gas chromatography, as it is faster, simpler and inexpensive guaranteeing an effective way to assess bacterial ketone production.