DETECTION OF BIFIDOBACTERIUM SPECIES BY ENZYMATIC METHODS AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING

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.