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A METHOD FOR COUNTING THE TOTAL BACTERIA IN AMMONIATED HEVEA LATEX SYSTEMS
Author(s) -
TAYSUM D. H.
Publication year - 1959
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1959.tb00160.x
Subject(s) - isotonic , hevea , chromatography , chemistry , phase contrast microscopy , natural rubber , hevea brasiliensis , physics , optics , medicine , organic chemistry
SUMMARY: A method has been developed for obtaining the total count of bacteria in ammoniated Hevea latex systems. This involves ultracentrifugation of latex or latex concentrate diluted in isotonic saline and the modified use of a normal phase contrast microscope to give a dark ground effect. Examples are given of the degree of bacterial contamination of field latex and concentrate. In these inhibitory ammoniated systems the total count may be high even if the viable count is low: in fact, in all the commercial latex concentrates examined the total count exceeded 10 8 cells/ml. The value of interference and fluorescence microscopy has also been studied.