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The Suitability of Tórtora's Medium for the Production of Enterotoxin in Clostridium perfringens Strains
Author(s) -
Oliveira TÓRtora JoãO Carlos,
Costa Gobert Araujo
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1985.tb00853.x
Subject(s) - enterotoxin , clostridium perfringens , feces , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , counterimmunoelectrophoresis , clostridiaceae , spore , toxin , bacteria , antigen , immunology , escherichia coli , biochemistry , genetics , gene
Examination of 200 samples from soil and the same number of samples from healthy human feces yielded 49 (24.5%) and 105 (52.5%) strains of heat‐resistant Clostridium perfringens respectively. Fourteen (7.0%) strains isolated from soil and 37 (18.5%) from feces synthesized enterotoxin, as demonstrated by Tórtora's method, at sufficient levels to permit its detection by mouse lethality, microslide double gel diffusion or counterimmunoelectrophoresis tests. By using the Duncan‐Strong (DS) method, only four (2%) enterotoxigenic strains from soil and 14 (7.0%) from feces were obtained. The supernatant fluid from two enterotoxigenic‐negative strains grown in DS medium gave a false‐positive reaction when they were injected intravenously into mice. Tórtora's medium was preferable because a larger number of isolated strains produced spores and enterotoxin to permit their recognition as enterotoxigenic strains.