The literature on the classification and nomenclature
of the family Bacteroidaceae and the occurrence on these
organisms as commensals or pathogens in Man and other
animals is reviewed.The historical development and principles of modern
methods of anaerobic culture are briefly reviewed and
discussed in relation to current hypotheses on the nature
of anaerobiosis and theories on the oxygen sensitivity
or tolerance of clinically important bacteroides strains0
Preliminary studies are presented on additional aspects
of the cultural procedures previously developed by Edinburgh
workers. The use of an electrometric device for the
measurement of redox potentials in samples of a broth
medium and for monitoring the establishment and maintainence
of extremely reduced conditions in an anaerobic cabinet
is described. Conventional bench and anaerobic cabinet
approaches to the culture of the Gram-negative, non-sporing
anaerobic bacilli are compared with further oxygen-sensitive
strains not previously tested by Edinburgh workers and the
earlier findings extended to show that quantitative recoveries
of exacting strains in liquid media are similar with either
approach.The nutritional requirements of the Bacteroidaceae
are reviewed and extensive growth studies in a range of
complex media are described. Media based on ordinarybacteriological peptones are shown to be inadequate for the
growth of strains of Ba melaninogenicus ss. asaccharolyticus,
but media containing peptide-rich Proteose peptones are
shown to support good growth of the strains tested, A
balanced salts solution described by other workers was
found to inhibit the growth of strains of B. melaninogenicus
ss, asacoharolyticus. and glucose was shown to cause an
increased lag phase in the growth of the same strains.
High concentrations of vitamin B₁₂ (cyanocobalamin) stimulated
the growth of strains of B, melaninogenicus ss, asaccharolyticus.Methods of identifying the Gram-negative, non-sporing
anaerobic bacilli are reviewed. The application of gas
chromatographic (GLC) techniques to identification of
bacteria and the role that these approaches have played
in resolving the confused taxonomy of different bacterial
groups are considered in detail. Techniques for the gasliquid chromatographic separation and identification of
short-chain fatty acid metabolic products of 185 isolates
from the family Bacteroidaoeae were separated and identified
and a range of possible media evaluated for this work.
The limitations of the GLC approach to the identification
of a wide range of strains from various clinical sources
are determined and the results correlated with those of
a series of morphological, biochemical, tolerance and
antibiotic resistance tests® The potential application
of GLC procedures to the rapid and accurate identification
of these organisms in hospital laboratories is considered.An established characterisation scheme for the
identification of the Bacteroidaceae on the basis of
conventional tests is enlarged by the inclusion of additional
tests and the range of discrimination of the scheme is
widened after studies with selected strains. Problems
in fermentation testing are examined with selected strains
of B. melaninogenicus and the detailed results of fermentation
and glucose utilisation studies with these strains are
presented,
