A Response Surface Model Based on Absorbance Data for the Growth Rates of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium as a Function of Temperature, NaCl, and pH

Response surface model was developed for predicting the growth rates of Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium in tryptic soy broth (TSB) medium as a function of combined effects of temperature, pH, and NaCl. The TSB containing six different concentrations of NaCl (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%) was adjusted to an initial of six different pH levels (pH 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) and incubated at 10 or $20^{\circ}C$. In all experimental variables, the primary growth curves were well $(r^2=0.900\;to\;0.996)$ fitted to a Gompertz equation to obtain growth rates. The secondary response surface model for natural logarithm transformations of growth rates as a function of combined effects of temperature, pH, and NaCl was obtained by SAS's general linear analysis. The predicted growth rates of the S. Typhimurium were generally decreased by basic (9, 10) or acidic (5, 6) pH levels or increase of NaCl concentrations (0-8%). Response surface model was identified as an appropriate secondary model for growth rates on the basis of coefficient determination $(r^2=0.960)$, mean square error (MSE=0.022), bias factor $(B_f=1.023)$, and accuracy factor $(A_f=1.164)$. Therefore, the developed secondary model proved reliable predictions of the combined effect of temperature, NaCl, and pH on growth rates for S. Typhimurium in TSB medium.