FIG 2.

(A) LTF-MB recovery efficiency was tested using the LTF-MB recovery protocol with 10⁴ CFU · ml⁻¹ of different bacteria. As a control, S. Typhimurium recovery was tested using biotin-coated MBs. The t test was used to calculate the statistical differences of individual recovery efficiencies compared to that of S. Typhimurium DB7155. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001; ****, P value < 0.0001. (B) The recovery efficiency of S. Typhimurium is not affected by a mixed background flora containing common foodborne pathogens. S. Typhimurium recovery efficiency of LTF-MBs was also tested using S. Typhimurium alone. (1) Salmonella with E. coli K-12 at a ratio of 1:1. (2) Salmonella with E. coli K-12 at a ratio of 1:10. (3) Salmonella with E. coli K-12 at a ratio of 1:100. (4) Salmonella with Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8325, Citrobacter freundii N0106, and Cronobacter sakazakii BAA894 at a ratio of 1:1:1:1:1. (5) S. Typhimurium recovery using biotin-passivated MBs as negative control. The differences in the recovery efficiencies of Salmonella alone or under conditions 1 to 4 were not significant (ns). Results are displayed as mean values ± SD.