Halogenated compounds for the sensitive detection of clostridia by gas chromatography

Abstract
Metabolites formed by the equivalent of 230 to 3000 cells of several Clostridium species were detected by use of a gas chromatograph fitted with an electron capture detector. A variety of organic acids, alcohols, and ketones were produced by growing cultures of the 10 species tested. Compounds excreted by 300 to 3000 cells of 12 strains of Clostridium perfringens were detected, and both common and dissimilar metabolites were formed by these strains. The sensitivity for detecting six Clostridium species increased up to several thousandfold when chlorophenoxyacetates were added to the medium, the increase being most marked with 2,4-di- and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetates. The results show that cometabolism is useful in increasing the sensitivity and speed of detection of Clostridium species.

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