Effect of Terramycin on Fecal Microflora of Rats. I. Interrelation of Diet and Terramycin.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Changes in fecal microflora of albino rats engendered by changes in composition of diet, and by incorporation of terramycin (10 mg./ kg. ration) in the 3 rations employed (balanced "basal," high carbohydrate-low protein, high protein-low carbohydrate were studied.) Diets per se, showed little or no effect in modifying the counts of total anaerobes and aerobes, L. acidophilus, or fecal streptococci. There was no statistically significant inter-action between terramycin and diet in these groups of organisms. Terramycin caused significant reductions of anaerobes, aerobes, and L. acidophilus and a marked increase of fecal streptococci regardless of ration. The use of tergitol-7-agar containing triphenyl tetrazolium chloride is descr. for enumeration of E. coli in feces. The counts of E. coli were not affected by diet or terramycin per se, but a high degree of interaction between diet and terramycin obtained. The action of terramycin on the E. coli count was dependent on the type of ration fed, especially as evidenced by significant differences between terramycin-supplemented high carbohydrate-low protein ration and terra-mycin-supplemented basal ration. The high carbohydrate-low protein diet resulted in a much lower count of Proteus spp. than either of the other 2 rations. Supplementation of all rations with terramycin resulted in a marked increase in numbers of Proteus spp. The effect of terramycin was independent of the ration fed, in this case.