CHEMICAL CHANGES CAUSED BY MICROORGANISMS

Because of the great variety of organic compounds in foods and the numerous kinds
of microorganisms that can decompose them, many different chemical changes are
possible and many kinds of products can result.
Changes in Nitrogenous Organic Compounds
Proteinases catalyze the hydrolysis of proteins to peptides,
which may give a bitter taste to foods.

Peptidases catalyze the hydrolysis of polypeptides to simpler

peptides and finally to amino acids.
 This process gives flavors, desirable or undesirable, to some foods;
e.g., amino acids contribute to the flavor of ripened cheeses.

Anaerobic decomposition of proteins, peptides, or amino acids,

however, may result in the production of obnoxious odors and
is then called putrefaction.
 It results in foul-smelling, sulfur containing products, such as
hydrogen, methyl, and ethyl sulfides and mercaptans, plus
ammonia, amines (e.g., histamine, tyramine, piperidine, putrescine,
and cadaverine), indole, skatole, and fatty acids.
Changes in Non-nitrogenous Organic Compounds
The main non-nitrogenous foods for microorganisms, mostly used to obtain
energy but possibly serving as sources of carbon, include carbohydrates, organic
acids, aldehydes and ketones, alcohols, glycosides, cyclic compounds, and
lipids.
Carbohydrates:
• Carbohydrates, if available, usually are preferred by microorganisms to other
energy-yielding foods. Complex di-, tri-, or polysaccharides usually are
hydrolyzed to simple sugars before utilization.
• A monosaccharide, such as glucose, aerobically would be oxidized to carbon
dioxide and water
• But anaerobically would undergo decomposition involving any of six main
types of fermentation:
 an alcoholic fermentation, as by yeasts, with ethanol and carbon
dioxide as the principal products.

 a simple lactic fermentation, as by homofermentative lactic acid

bacteria, with lactic acid as the main product.
 a mixed lactic fermentation, as by heterofermentative lactic acid
bacteria, with lactic and acetic acids, ethanol, glycerol, and carbon
dioxide as the chief products.

 the coliform type of fermentation, as by coliform bacteria, with lactic,

acetic, and formic acids, ethanol, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and
perhaps acetoin and butanediol as likely products.

 the propionic fermentation, by propionibacteria, producing propionic,

acetic, and succinic acids and carbon dioxide.

 the butyric-butyl-isopropyl fermentations, by anaerobic bacteria,

yielding butyric and acetic acids, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and in some
instances acetone, butylenes glycol, butanol, and 2-propanol.
 Organic Acids

 Many of the organic acids usually occurring in foods as salts are oxidized
by organisms to carbonates, causing the medium to become more alkaline.

 Aerobically the organic acids may be oxidized completely to carbon

dioxide and water, as is done by film yeasts.

 Acids may be oxidized to other, simpler acids or to other products similar

to those from sugars.

 Saturated fatty acids or lower ketonic derivatives are degraded to acetic

acid, two carbons at a time, aided by coenzyme A.

 Unsaturated or hydroxy fatty acids may be degraded partially in a similar

manner but must be converted to a saturated acid (or ketonic derivative)
for complete beta oxidation.
 Fat

 Fats are hydrolyzed by microbial lipase to glycerol and fatty acids.

 Rancid odour or taste in a spoiled butter is due to the breakdown of

fats to fatty acids.

FATTY FOODS (oils and

fats) + Lipolytic Fatty acids + Glycerol
Microorganisms

 Phospholipids may be degraded to their constituent phosphate,

glycerol, fatty acids, and nitrogenous base, e.g., choline.
Lipoproteins are made up of proteins, cholesterol esters, and
phospholipids.
 Pectic Substances

Protopectin, the water-insoluble parent pectic substance in

plants, is converted to pectin, a water-soluble polymer of
galacturonic acid which contains methyl ester linkages and
varying degrees of neutralization by various cations.
It gels with sugar and acid.
Pectinesterase causes hydrolysis of the methyl ester linkage
of pectin to yield pectic acid and methanol.
Polygalacturonases destroy the linkage between
galacturonic acid units of pectin or pectic acid to yield
smaller chains and ultimately free D-galacturonic acid,
which may be degraded to simple sugars.
 Other Compounds

• Alcohols usually are oxidized to the corresponding

organic acid, e.g., ethanol to acetic acid.
Acetobacter
Ethanol Acetic acids

• Glycerol may be dissimilated to products similar to

those from glucose.
• Glycosides, after hydrolysis to release the sugar, will
have the sugar dissimilated characteristically.
• Acetaldehyde may be oxidized to acetic acid or
reduced to ethanol.