ANTIBOTULINAL ROLE OF ISOASCORBATE IN CURED MEAT

The effect of antioxidants, reducing agents, and a chelating agent were tested in perishable canned cured meat. Isoascorbate, ascorbate, and cysteine enhance the antibotulinal effect of nitrite in perishable canned cured meat. It was determined that this effect was not due to the antioxidant or reducing properties which these compounds possess. The data indicate that they enhance the effect of nitrite by sequestering a metal ion(s) in the meat. It is suggested that nitrite (nitric oxide) reacts with a cation dependent material within the germinated botulinal cell and blocks a metabolic step which is essential for outgrowth. Enhancement of nitrite by isoascorbate, and similar compounds, may be due to preventing repair of damaged material or formation of new cation dependent material.