Nitrite and Nitric Oxide as Antimicrobial Agents

Sodium nitrite has multiple bacteriostatic effects, and is inhibitory to both aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Nitrite is most inhibitory to both aerobic (Tarr, 1941a,b Castellani and Niven, 1955) and anaerobic (Shank et al., 1962) microbes over the pH range of 5.0-5.5, consistent with the hypothesis that undissociated nitrous acid (pK, = 3.4) is the active compound. Shank et al. (1962) concluded that rapid nitrite loss due to conversion of nitrous acid to gaseous NO 

Effect of Salt, Nitrate, and Nitrite on Botulinal Toxin Formation in Liver Sausage Held at 30°C° 

Treatment First detection of toxin (+ or — at indicated days) 

Lee et al. (1978) investigated the possibility that sulfhydryl groups were required in the formation of the clostridial inhibitor in cured meats. Sulfhydryl groups of meat proteins were blocked by treatment with silver lactate, then the samples were cooked with sodium nitrite before inoculation with C. botuli num spores. Botulinal growth as measured by gas and toxin production was similar to controls without silver lactate treatment. They thus concluded that sulfhydryl groups were not required for the antibotulinal effects of nitrite in cured meats. 

Activity of Reconstituted Phosphoroclastic System in Clostridium sporogenes Cells  

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