170996 20260430151736.0 doi 10.3390/foods15081447 sideral 149016 ART-2026-149016 eng Abad, Vanesa Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0009-0000-8889-1263 Pulsed Electric Fields as an Effective Tool for Toxoplasma gondii Inactivation 2026 Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan transmitted via environmentally resistant oocysts present in food and water, as well as through the consumption of meat containing infective bradyzoites. This study evaluated the inactivation of T. gondii oocysts and bradyzoites (ME-49 strain) by Pulsed Electric Field technology (PEF). Treatment efficacy was determined by mouse bioassay combining brain qPCR and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), with complementary qPCR in Hs27 cells. The infectious dose (ID50) of T. gondii was estimated at 34.6 oocysts. PEF-treated oocysts (15 kV/cm; 50 kJ/kg; 225 µs) showed a significant reduction in infectivity compared with untreated controls; accordingly, the dose required to establish infection increased to 85.3 oocysts after PEF treatment. Brain qPCR and IFA were highly correlated, whereas heart tissue was less sensitive. Bradyzoites recovered from PEF-treated meat (3.3 kV/cm; 27 kJ/kg; 1600 µs) showed a 50% infectivity reduction compared with untreated samples. In vitro assays confirmed an in vivo reduction in infectivity, indicating that cell cultures can serve as an ethical and efficient tool for preliminary viability assessment. This is the first evidence of T. gondii inactivation by PEF, highlighting its potential as a non-thermal strategy. Further studies are needed to optimize treatment parameters. Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/A03-23R info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/A06-23R info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/A16-24 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/LMP170_21 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Berdejo, Daniel Martínez, Juan Manuel Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-9337-417X Halaihel, Nabil Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-4121-8087 Garcia, João Luis Álvarez-Lanzarote, Ignacio Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-2430-858X Bayarri, Susana Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-1668-4940 Cebrián, Guillermo Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-5049-3646 2008 640 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali. Área Nutrición Bromatología 1009 773 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Patología Animal Área Sanidad Animal 2008 780 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali. Área Tecnología de Alimentos 15, 8 (2026), 1447 [17 pp.] Foods Foods 2304-8158 865785 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/170996/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2359788 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/170996/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:170996 articulos driver 2026-04-30-13:58:41 ARTICLE