LACTOBACILLI IN THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF THE CHICKEN

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Abstract
Lactobacilli are numerically the most important group of bacteria in the intestinal tract of the chicken. Isolation and partial characterization of 125 cultures from this source have revealed that these lactobacilli differ considerably from those found in other animals. Isolations were made from carrot-liver agar shake tubes (pH 7) and from petri dish cultures containing the same medium, adjusted to pH 4.5. Petri dish cultures were incubated in oat jars or in modified McIntosh-Fildes jars. The lactobacilli isolated are catalase-negative, microaerophilic, homofermentative, short, Gram-positive rods, whose optimum temp. is near 37[degree]C, and which curdle milk slowly. 72% of the isolates produce acid from glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, and lactose; no acid is produced from trehalose, cellobiose, and salicin (type I). 10% of the isolates are similar to type I, but produce acid from trehalose (type II). 6% of the isolates produce acid from glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, lactose, cellobiose, and salicin; no acid is produced from trehalose (type III). 10% of the isolates produce acid rapidly from sucrose and lactose, slowly from galactose, fructose and maltose; acid is not produced from glucose; trehalose, cellobiose, and salicin yield inconclusive results (type IV). The fermentation reactions of these groups of lactobacilli do not fit the pattern for Lactobacillus acidophilus or L. bulgaricus. The finding of type IV lactobacilli, which do not ferment glucose, is of particular interest.