Culture and spray-drying of Tsukamurella paurometabola C-924: stability of formulated powders

The nematocidal agent, Tsukamurella paurometabola C-924, was cultured in a 300 l bioreactor. Spray-dried formulations of this microorganism were prepared using sucrose. At an outlet temperature 62°C, survival rates between 12 and 85% were reached with sucrose up to 10% (w/w). The stability study of the powders showed that the best storage condition was at 4°C under vacuum. A new method for the calculation of cell death order for bacteria stored at low temperatures was developed. Powders stored under vacuum showed an Arrhenius behavior in relation to cell death kinetics.