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Biomedical subjects

W A Moats

Publications and source records attributed to W A Moats.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Comparison of four agar plating media with and without added novobiocin for isolation of salmonellae from beef and deboned poultry meat.

Four plating media, Hektoen enteric (HE), xylose-lysine deoxycholate (XLD), tryptic soy-xylose-lysine (TSXL), and tryptic soy-brillant green (TSBG) agars with and without 10 mg of added novobiocin per ml, were evaluated for recovery of Salmonella from roast beef and deboned turkey. Colonies producing a reaction typical of H(2)S-positive salmonellae (alkaline with black centers) were picked. On the media without novobiocin, from 109 determinations on 75 samples, number of salmonellae found and false-positives were, respectively: HE-13, 58; XLD-17, 18; TSXL-23, 0; TSBG-22, 7. When novobiocin was present the corresponding results were: HE-17, 24; XLD-21, 2; TSXL-23, 3; TSBG-20, 7. A total of 25 determinations were positive on one or more agars. False-positives on HE and XLD without novobiocin were predominantly Proteus, which were almost totally eliminated by addition of 10 mg of novobiocin per liter. If alkaline H(2)S-negative colonies had been considered, many more false-positives would have been found on HE and XLD but not on TSBG or TSXL. Addition of novobiocin markedly improved isolations of salmonellae from XLD and HE and reduced the number of false-positives. Addition of novobiocin did not improve performance of TSXL and slightly impaired differentiation of salmonellae from Citrobacter on TSBG. XLD with novobiocin and TSXL are highly specific for H(2)S-positive salmonellae, and the appearance of Salmonella-like colonies on these media can be considered a presumptive test for H(2)S-positive salmonellae.

Animals

Effect of pH on the antimicrobial activity of some triphenylmethane dyes.

Four common dyes were tested as inhibitors of four types of bacteria over the pH range 5.0-9.0. Inhibition of the gram-negative types, Salmonella anatum and Enterobacter aerogenes, was markedly affected by the pH of the medium. These organisms tolerated concentrations of crystal violet and ethyl violet about 100-fold higher at pH 5.0 than at pH 9.0. Above pH 7.0 brilliant green (BG) and malachite green (MG) were precipitated as their respective carbinols and lost their inhibitory properties with these two organisms. Two gram-positive types, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, were more sensitive to dyes and results were less affected by pH. The carbinol forms of MG and BG were nearly as inhibitory to these organisms as the ionized forms.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Observations on brilliant green agar with H2S indicator.

Several formulations of brilliant green agar with an added H2S indicator were evaluated. Results were optimum with variations of a basic formula consisting of 40 g of tryptic soy agar (Difco), 8 g of lactose, 8 g of sucrose, 80 mg of phenol red, 1 g of sulfanilamide, 1.5 g of ferric ammonium citrate, 5 g of sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, and 7 mg of brilliant green dye per liter. Brilliant green dye was added after sterilization of the other components This formulation supported good growth of all of 39 strains of Salmonella tested. Normal biochemical types formed pink colonies with black centers, and an H2S-negative S. choleraesuis formed pink colonies without black centers. Of other bacteria tested, only Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and a few Citrobacter strains showed significant growth in 24 h. When lactose was omitted from the formulation, a lactose-fermenting strain formed pink colonies with black centers, and differentiation of Salmonella from the Enterobacter-Klebsiella groups was equally good. Addition of xylose (4.0 g) and L-lysine hydrochloride (5.4 g) to the above formulation improved differentiation between Salmonella and the few Citrobacter strains that grew and produced more intense blackening in Salmonella colonies. Addition of an H2S indicator to brilliant green agar formulations aided in identification of Salmonella colonies, especially in mixtures with other bacteria. These media were judged to give better differentiation of salmonellae from other bacteria than Hektoen agar with added novobiocin (10 mg/liter).

Agar