Table 5. Relaxation times (T₂ ms) and the corresponding population (A₂ %) values of the fresh beef contaminated with bacterial and storage for 0 d up to 28 d, fluctuations T2-values indicate tightly bound water, while high A₂-values indicate the compartment containing the major part of the water

Storage time	(T2 ms) & (A2 %)	Fresh beef	Fresh beef +NO-Hb	Nitrite (control)	TBC	E. coli	Staphylo-coccus	Pseudo-monas	Salmonella	LAB
0 d	T₂₁	0.98±0.00^a	1.16±0.22^b	1.15±0.12^b	1.30±0.15^c	1.34±0.44^c	1.47±0.31^c	1.50±0.29^c	1.64±0.23^c	2.01±0.16^d
	T₂₂	51.12±0.01^b	56.10±2.27^d	57.74±0.03^d	57.75±0.0^d	45.10±1.32^a	54.83±0.06^c	54.67±0.23^c	54.82±0.06^c	58.74±0.03^d
	T₂₃	382.59±0.28^a	475.00±6.29^d	508.60±5.77^e	407.30±5.23^b	469.41±3.40^d	411.27±1.73^b	469.50±3.24^d	460.84±18.25^d	439.09±1.16^c
	A₂₁	137.23±0.63^a	147.45±4.13^d	139.01±2.22^a	183.40±2.29^d	165.71±1.36^c	165.34±2.96^c	178.71±0.18^e	181.03±2.60^d	188.05±2.20^b
	A₂₂	4,753.41±1.81^c	4,612.18±18.27^b	4,814.26±21.99^d	4,872.71±9.00^d	4,580.93±11.73^a	4,929.60±24.93^e	4,865.90±25.57^d	4,909.40±27.54^e	4,969.22±27.14^e
	A₂₃	107.12±0.46^d	32.96±1.24^a	42.89±0.57^b	62.49±0.43^c	36.04±0.57^a	57.25±0.69^c	43.48±0.75^b	43.42±1.26^b	42.08±0.97^b
7 d	T₂₁	1.74±0.06^d	0.85±0.62^a	1.28±0.09^b	1.19±0.71^b	1.46±0.28^c	1.54±0.40^c	1.37±0.47^c	1.58±0.19^c	2.09±0.13^b
	T₂₂	49.52±0.03^b	56.11±0.61^c	56.07±0.11^c	50.26±1.31^b	49.52±0.03^b	49.52±0.03^b	37.57±0.15^a	49.52±0.03^b	49.52±0.03^b
	T₂₃	356.28±0.58^e	474.00±4.55^f	313.49±2.03^d	249.52±0.03^a	315.31±1.17^d	313.66±1.73^d	237.62±2.02^b	314.65±0.03^d	276.83±2.31^c
	A₂₁	149.48±0.43^c	112.34±0.28^a	122.38±3.95^b	157.12±1.60^d	157.17±0.58^d	151.10±4.37^d	143.88±0.79^c	158.16±1.33^d	162.10±2.08^e
	A₂₂	4,161.83±0.57^a	4,877.77±11.55^e	4,489.35±23.96^c	4,942.90±23.75^e	4,453.83±8.31^c	4,349.70±9.21^b	4,232.86±12.43^b	4,561.69±11.91^c	4,568.17±15.74^c
	A₂₃	138.15±4.15^e	132.96±1.24^a	264.88±2.67^c	161.82±1.42^b	192.83±1.58^b	211.44±2.40^c	185.07±1.70^b	168.13±0.67^b	167.26±0.55^b
14 d	T₂₁	1.78±0.07^b	1.78±0.07^b	1.63±0.07^a	1.82±0.01^c	1.96±0.14^d	1.83±0.00^c	1.87±0.08^c	1.83±0.13^c	1.71±0.12^b
	T₂₂	47.74±0.10^a	51.28±0.29^b	52.34±2.12^c	51.22±0.18^b	54.79±0.00^d	51.11±0.00^b	51.12±0.017^b	51.22±0.18^b	47.68±0.01^a
	T₂₃	357.64±0.96^c	333.18±0.10^a	355.76±2.28^c	349.10±13.83^b	356.08±1.73^c	333.13±0.00^a	333.18±0.10^a	357.98±1.01^c	332.46±1.15^a
	A₂₁	147.45±0.14^b	172.94±1.84^d	131.17±2.87^a	169.72±1.42^d	186.81±2.37^e	159.37±2.55^c	170.91±1.68^d	174.01±0.74^d	167.67±1.8^3c
	A₂₂	4,010.28±1.44^a	4,216.30±22.67^b	4,147.49±12.62^b	4,273.98±18.37^b	4,457.57±10.14^c	4,227.66±29.53^b	4,313.13±19.74^c	4,305.79±19.83^c	4,251.53±22.82^b
	A₂₃	338.26±0.89^e	131.31±1.90^c	121.62±1.93^b	124.75±0.41^b	106.78±1.28^a	117.89±2.62^b	146.46±2.95^c	130.12±1.60^c	135.47±3.67^c
21 d	T₂₁	1.78±0.43^d	1.89±0.36^d	1.03±0.08^a	1.53±0.27^c	1.35±0.05^b	1.45±0.15^b	1.49±0.17^b	1.33±0.14^b	1.76±0.29^d
	T₂₂	47.66±0.04^a	51.22±0.18^b	51.45±0.58^b	51.15±0.06^b	51.11±0.00^b	51.12±0.02^b	51.12±0.017^b	47.74±0.10^a	51.12±0.02^b
	T₂₃	310.90±0.20^a	333.43±0.56^b	355.75±2.31^c	334.45±2.28^b	333.13±0.00^b	333.13±0.00^b	334.45±2.28^b	333.18±0.10^b	332.46±1.15^b
	A₂₁	140.05±1.18^b	119.68±0.25^a	122.45±3.09^a	127.25±0.25^a	169.31±4.06^c	184.78±6.249^e	178.90±1.86^d	164.92±1.29^c	162.02±1.70^c
	A₂₂	4,250.66±0.38^a	4,706.18±26.48^d	4,619.82±21.29^c	4,709.82±24.84^d	4,657.02±31.82^c	4,654.64±24.93^c	4,807.96±6.75^e	4,767.71±30.39^d	4,658.70±19.60^c
	A₂₃	721.74±0.12^d	174.63±2.66^d	212.47±2.25^e	172.39±0.60^d	143.86±3.06^b	148.88±3.91^b	150.70±1.49^b	141.34±1.699^b	133.59±1.04^a
28 d	T₂₁	1.23±0.05^b	1.18±0.01^a	1.32±0.05^c	1.29±0.01^b	1.32±0.05^c	1.29±0.00^b	1.35±0.05^c	1.58±0.01^d	1.29±0.00^b
	T₂₂	47.69±0.00^a	51.11±0.00^b	49.97±1.98^b	51.11±0.00^b	51.22±0.18^b	47.69±0.00^a	51.45±0.58^b	51.12±0.017^b	47.68±0.01^a
	T₂₃	286.13±6.61^a	355.70±2.28^d	289.28±1.15^a	355.76±2.28^d	332.46±1.15^b	355.76±2.28^d	332.46±1.15^b	349.20±13.83^c	332.46±1.15^b
	A₂₁	296.14±2.362^b	348.83±2.03^d	279.00±4.39^a	337.92±5.16^c	337.32±0.05^c	337.97±4.64^c	326.78±1.61^c	335.84±3.10^c	324.95±1.59^c
	A₂₂	8,827.96±25.77^a	-9,363.85±28.22^d	8,831.33±66.32^a	9,296.90±98.67^c	8,801.22±0.18^a	9,260.11±87.65^c	9,126.58±34.20^b	9,310.38±75.45^d	9,283.92±19.13^c
	A₂₃	335.26±1.93^f	336.10±5.36^c	527.49±3.56^e	268.18±2.39^a	332.46±1.15^c	386.52±3.12^d	309.66±1.86^c	291.32±3.09^b	325.32±15.05^c

Values are given as the Mean±SD from triplicate determinations; bacteria in the ratio (1:1) injected in minced beef.
Refrigerator storage at 4°C for 7 d; samples were frozen at -20°C for 14, 21, and 28 d.
denote refrigerator or frozen in the same column, with different letters differing significantly (p<0.05).
Control, fresh minced beef; Nitrite (100 mg/kg), fresh minced beef with nitrite; NO-Hb (10 g/kg), fresh minced beef with nitroso-hemoglobin; TBC, total bacterial count; Escherichia coli, (E. coli O157:H7, E. coli (ETEC), E. coli (EHEC); Staphylococcus, (S. aureus, S. argenteus, S. simiae); Pseudomonas, (P. lundensis, P. mudicolens, P. aeruginosa); Salmonella, (S. Typhimurium, S. Javiana, S. Enteritidis); LAB, (S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei, and M. enterococcus).