Lipolytic Activity of Some Anaerobic Bacteria

Abstract

THE use of the water-soluble ‘Tweens’ for easy detection of lipolytic activity by micro-organisms has already been described by me¹. This technique has now been adapted to detect lipolytic activity of anaerobic bacteria. The best results were obtained by using the medium ‘VF’ of Prévot with the addition of ‘Tween 20’, ‘40’, ‘60’, or ‘80’ (polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono-laurate, mono-palmitate, mono-stearate and mono-oleate respectively) in a final concentration of 7 × 10⁻³ M plus 0.01 per cent (w/v) calcium chloride. After incubation at 37° C. the ‘Tween’ cultures were examined for the presence of opaque haloes, due to the formation of conspicuous precipitates of calcium laurate, palmitate, stearate or oleate around the zones of growth. The test was made either in tubes (8 mm. × 180 mm.) following the classical techniques for growing anaerobic bacteria, or on plates in Brewer's jars. Simultaneously, lipolytic activity was tested by the Eijkman² method using the Prévot medium.