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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1975 October; 30(4): 541-545
Copyright © 1975 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Detection of Lactobacillus acidophilus in Feces of Humans, Pigs, and Chickens¹

Department of Food Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607

ABSTRACT

Lactobacilli in fecal material from humans, pigs, and chickens were enumerated on lactobacillus selective agar (LBS). In all samples, higher numbers of lactobacilli were detected when plates were incubated in a system flushed with CO₂ rather than in air. Much higher numbers of bacteria from human feces were detected when the LBS agar plates were incubated anaerobically in a hydrogen-carbon dioxide atmosphere (GasPak) than when incubated in CO₂. The bacteria from human feces isolated on LBS agar incubated anaerobically were predominately bifidobacteria. Cultures from all three sources isolated on LBS agar incubated under CO₂ were lactobacilli, including Lactobacillus acidophilus. Differences were observed in biochemical characteristics of some of the L. acidophilus isolated from all three sources. Guanine plus cytosine base ratios of deoxyribonucleic acid isolated from L. acidophilus cultures from humans were lower, in most cases, than those from pigs and chickens.

¹ Paper no. 4694 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh, N.C.