Fish is a nutritionally rich product; however, it is easily contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms, such as Salmonella spp. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the best concentration of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), exposure time, and water temperature that allow the most effective antimicrobial effect on the viable population of Salmonella spp. Thus, Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 and Salmonella Schwarzengrund were exposed to different time frames, ranging from 5 min to 38.5 min, temperatures between 5 and 38.5 °C, and NaClO concentrations ranging from 0.36 to 6.36 ppm, through a central composite rotational design experiment (CCRD). The results demonstrated that the ATCC strain exhibited a quadratic response to sodium hypochlorite when combined with exposure time, indicating that initial contact would already be sufficient for the compound's action to inhibit the growth of the mentioned bacteria. However, for S. Schwarzengrund (isolated directly from fish cultivated in aquaculture), both NaClO concentration and exposure time significantly influenced inactivation, following a linear pattern. This suggests that increasing the exposure time of NaClO could be an alternative to enhance Salmonella elimination rates in fish slaughterhouses. Thus, the analysis indicates that the Salmonella spp. strains used in in vitro experiments were sensitive to concentrations equal to or greater than the recommended ones, requiring a longer exposure time combined with the recommended NaClO concentration in the case of isolates from aquaculture.
Keywords: CCRD; NaClO; Salmonella Enteritidis; Salmonella Schwarzengrund; exposure time; fish; water temperature.