Table 4.

Growth parameters obtained and their 95% confidence limits and coefficients of determination (r ²), SSE, and RMSE of fit with different growth models for the average OD growth curves of Escherichia coli CECT 515 at 37°C in pH 5 TSB+YE inoculating 10², 10⁴, and 10⁶ CFU mL⁻¹ shown in Figure 1(c).

Growth model	Initial concentration (CFU mL−1)	Lag time (h)	Growth rate (OD units h−1)	y 0  (OD units)	C  (OD units)	β	r 2	SSE	RMSE
Three-phase linear	102	14.80 (14.60–15.00)	0.103 (0.100–0.105)	0.161 (0.115–0.207)	1.622		0.995	0.0200	0.0250
	104	9.70 (9.53–9.86)	0.110 (0.107–0.112)	0.167 (0.111–0.223)	1.656		0.996	0.0150	0.0220
	106	4.44 (4.27–4.61)	0.111 (0.108–0.113)	0.176 (0.113–0.239)	1.600		0.996	0.0150	0.0224
Gompertz	102	15.46 (15.29–15.62)	0.117 (0.115–0.119)	0.144 (0.137–0.152)	1.794 (1.780–1.807)		0.999	0.0700	0.0227
	104	10.29 (10.13–10.46)	0.125 (0.123–0.128)	0.146 (0.137–0.155)	1.799 (1.785–1.812)		0.999	0.0663	0.0227
	106	4.65 (4.42–4.89)	0.125 (0.122–0.127)	0.123 (0.106–0.140)	1.783 (1.761–1.805)		0.999	0.0597	0.0237
Logistic	102	15.51 (15.12–15.90)	0.117 (0.113–0.121)	0.105 (0.088–0.121)	1.784 (1.758–1.810)		0.997	0.2544	0.0433
	104	9.95 (9.56–10.33)	0.123 (0.119–0.126)	0.078 (0.057–0.094)	1.834 (1.808–1.860)		0.997	0.1825	0.0376
	106	3.67 (3.46–3.89)	0.120 (0.117–0.123)	0.000a	1.875 (1.864–1.887)		0.997	0.1232	0.0339
Richards	102	15.46 (15.18–15.73)	0.00008 (−0.016–0.016)	0.144 (0.137–0.152)	1.794 (1.772–1.816)	0.00024 (−0.049–0.049)	0.999	0.0670	0.0228
	104	10.29 (9.98–10.61)	0.0001 (−0.063–0.063)	0.146 (0.135–0.156)	1.799 (1.778–1.819)	0.00041 (−0.185–0.186)	0.999	0.0663	0.0228
	106	4.65 (4.41–4.90)	0.0002 (−0.107–0.107)	0.123 (0.086–0.159)	1.783 (1.743–1.824)	0.00062 (−0.316–0.317)	0.999	0.0598	0.0239
Baranyi	102	14.31 (13.87–14.75)	0.101 (0.097–0.105)	0.126	1.742 (1.727–1.756)		0.996		0.0445
	104	8.96 (8.50–9.41)	0.107 (0.103–0.111)	0.115	1.777 (1.763–1.789)		0.996		0.0445
	106	2.72 (2.07–3.38)	0.104 (0.099–0.109)	0.060	1.791 (1.776–1.806)		0.994		0.0483

^aValue fixed at bound.