Evaluation of process-induced dimensional changes in the membrane structure of biological cells using impedance measurement

The impact of high intensity electric field pulses, high hydrostatic pressure, and freezing-thawing on local structural changes of the membrane was determined for potato, sugar beet tissue, and yeast suspensions. On the basis of the electrophysical model of cell systems in biological tissues and suspensions, a method was derived for determining the extent of local damage of cell membranes. The method was characterized by an accurate and rapid on-line determination of frequency-dependent electrical conductivity properties from which information on microscopic events on cellular level may be deduced. Evaluation was based on the measurement of the relative change in the sample's impedance at characteristically low (f(1)) and high (f(h)) frequencies within the beta-dispersion range. For plant and animal cells the characteristic frequencies were f(1) approximate to 5 kHz and f(h) > 5 MHz and for yeast cells in the range f(1) approximate to 50 kHz and f(h) > 25 MHz. The observed phenomena were complex. The identification of the underlying mechanisms required consideration of the time-dependent nature of the processing effects and stress reactions of the biological systems, which ranged from seconds to several hours. A very low but significantly detectable membrane damage (0.004% of the total area) was found after high hydrostatic pressure treatment of potato tissue at 200 MPa. The membrane rupture in plant tissue cells was higher after freezing and subsequent thawing (0.9% of total area for potato cells and 0.05-0.07% for sugar beet cells determined immediately after thawing), which increased substantially during the next 2 h.