Patent ID: 8700373
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: C12Q,G16Z

Abstract:
1. A method for estimating survival cell count of a specific strain of a bacterium belonging to bifidobacteria or lactic acid bacteria when a composition containing the specific strain is stored at a constant temperature, the method comprising: calculating each value of the following A creating the following equation (I) based on said A estimating a survival cell count n t: storage period (days)×1/30 n n T: storage temperature (° C.) w: water activity value of the composition 1) the specific strain is respectively added to powdery compositions having at least three different water activity values w and evenly mixed to thereby produce specific strain-containing composition samples, each sample is then individually packed and sealed up in a plural number, which is defined by number of storage temperature conditions times number of storage period conditions, of moisture barrier containers, by which a plurality of sealed samples are given per each water activity value w, then, each sealed sample is stored in at least three different storage temperatures (° C.), and thereafter, the survival cell count n 2) the survival cell counts n the regression line of respective storage condition is calculated using these plots, and a regression coefficient represented by the slope of the regression line of respective storage condition is defined as the inactivation rate; 3) next, by having the natural logarithmic value of the inactivation rate at respective storage temperature (° C.) on the Y-axis and the water activity value w on the X-axis, the relation between both parties is plotted, and using this plot, the regression line represented by the equation: y=ax+b of respective storage temperature (° C.) is respectively calculated; 4) by having the slope (a) of the linear equation of respective storage temperature (° C.) obtained from the step 3) on the Y-axis and the storage temperature T (° C.) on the X-axis, the relation between both parties is plotted, and using this plot, a linear equation is obtained, and the slope A 5) by having the constant (b) of the regression line obtained from the step 3) on the Y-axis and the storage temperature T (° C.) on the X-axis, the relation between both parties is plotted, and a linear equation thereof is obtained, and the slope C