V. Rada, DETECTION OF BIFIDOBACTERIUM SPECIES BY ENZYMATIC METHODS AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING, Biotechnology techniques, 11(12), 1997, pp. 909-912
Twenty four strains of bifidobacteria and 16 strains of lactobacilli w
ere examined for activities of fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase, a
lpha-galactosidase, and alpha-glucosidase and the resistance to metron
idazole and mupirocin over 24 h. The detection of alpha-galactosidase,
alpha-glucosidase, and metronidazole susceptibility gave unclear resu
lts. The mupirocin susceptibility using disc diffusion method (200 mu
g mupirocin per disc) had the same validity as the detection of fructo
se-6-phosphate phosphoketolase - the key enzyme of the bifidobacteria
carbohydrate metabolism. While 24 bifidobacteria strains tested were m
upirocin-resistant, 16 lactobacilli strains were susceptible. Hence, t
he resistance to mupirocin may serve as a simple criterion distinquish
ing Bifidobacterium spp. from Lactobacillus spp.