Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of edible vinegar or soy sauce on the infectivity and reproductive capacity of muscle larvae of Trichinella spiralis. Methods One hundred and forty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 14 groups （10 mice per group）. Mice in each group were orally fed with 300 muscle larvae in meat （weighing 0.02 g） soaked with edible vinegar （pH 3.05， 4.5% acid）， soy （19.3% NaCl） or saline （control） for different time respectively. Half of the infected mice were sacrificed on day 7 and day 42 post-infection respectively. The intestinal adult worms and muscle larvae were observed, and reproductive capacity index （RCI） was determined. Results The intestinal adult worms （77，41，0，and 0，respectively） and RCI （52.48，18.45，0，and 0，respectively） in mice fed with 300 muscle larvae treated by vinegar for 3，6，12，and 24 h were considerably lower than that in saline control （worm number 121，121，116，and 101; RCI 159.10，124.56，73.63，and 42.17） （P<0.05）. The intestinal adult worms （79.00，39.00，3.40，and 0） and RCI （48.75，20.80，1.87，and 0） in mice fed with soy-treated larvae for 12，24，36，and 48 h were also significantly lower than that in saline control （worm number 116，101，95，and 89；RCI 73.63，42.17，21.53，and 4.13）（P<0.05）. Trend analysis showed that the intestinal adult worms and RCI of the infected mice decreased along with the increase of vinegar- or soy-soaking time （P<0.05）. Conclusion The infectivity and fecundity of T. spiralis muscle larvae decrease gradually after the treatment of edible vinegar or soy sauce.

Key words: Trichinella spiralis, Muscle larva, Infectivity, Reproductive capacity index, Vinegar, Soy