GROWTH OF LACTOBACILLI, STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS AND ESCHERICHIA-COLI INNORMAL AND MASTITIC MILK AND WHEY

The growth of three lactobacilli (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgar icus and L. casei), Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was fol lowed in normal and mastitic milk and whey using the standard plate co unt method. L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus 6032 and L. casei 6028 grew well in normal milk, but had decreased growth in mastitic milk if not pre-adapted in mastitic whey. S. aureus 26003 and E. coli 44102 showed enhanced growth in mastitic milk as compared with their growth in nor mal milk. These mastitis pathogens grew faster than the lactobacilli i n both the normal milk and the mastitic milk. Among the lactobacilli, L. acidophilus and L. bulgaricus grew faster than L. casei in both typ es of milk samples. All the bacteria tested grew well in the normal an d mastitic whey samples. However, they seemed to have enhanced growth in mastitic whey with the exception oft. casei. Preadaptation of the b acteria in mastitic whey in subculture markedly improved the growth of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria in mastitic milk. All the bacteria showed decreased replication in mastitic milk as compared wi th mastitic whey.