Production of enterotoxin A and thermonuclease by Staphylococcus aureus in legumes.

Growth, enterotoxin A (SEA) and thermonuclease (TNase) production of S. aureus (Strains CP 7 and FRI 722) was determined in media produced from the following heat or irradiation sterilized legumes: peas, black beans, mung beans, adzuki beans and soybeans. Media containing the five legumes alone or in combination with Brain Heart Infusion Broth (BHI) were tested. With the exception of heat-sterilized black beans and adzuki beans, S. aureus growth was excellent in all media with cell counts after 48 h (25 degrees C) exceeding 10(8) cfu/ml. In black beans and adzuki beans cell counts were 1-2 log-cycles lower. Enterotoxin A was produced in amounts of 33 to 72 ng/ml in BHI after 48 h. Almost no toxin was produced in the four different beans following heat or irradiation treatment; in peas the toxin concentration reached 14 to 15 ng/ml. In the medium prepared from irradiated soybeans and BHI the final toxin concentration was about the same as in BHI alone. In all the other media consisting of a combination of legumes with BHI toxin concentrations were three to four times higher than in BHI alone. Production of thermonuclease showed variation and did not always correlate with enterotoxin production.