PRESERVATION OF LACTOBACILLUS LEICHMANNII FOR DIRECT USE IN THE VITAMIN B12 ASSAY

Suspensions of Lactobacillus leichmannii were stored in liquid nitrogen and were used as direct inocula in vitamin B(12) assays. Complete recovery of viable cells was obtained when the suspensions in basal B(12) medium were rapidly frozen by direct immersion into liquid nitrogen and rapidly thawed by agitating the suspensions in a water bath at 40 C. Greater than 90% destruction occurred when the suspensions were in saline. However, both suspensions were usable in the B(12) assay system. Assay results on a number of test materials indicated good correlation between freshly prepared suspensions and frozen suspensions in basal medium stored 3 months. Suspensions in saline stored for 1 year in liquid nitrogen showed no detectable difference from the first day after freezing. Suspensions frozen slowly at the rate of 1 degree per min from 4 to -40 C and subsequently immersed in liquid nitrogen had a longer lag period of growth and were not usable in the 18-hr assay incubation system. A major advantage of a stored inoculum for direct use in a microbiological assay is the reduced day-to-day variation in the inoculum.

SURVIVAL OF LACTOBACILLUS LEICHMANNII IN RELATION TO VITAMIN B12 ASSAYS

Since washed cells of Lactobacillus leichmannii ATCC 7830 frequently showed erratic results in vitamin B(12) assays, a depletion technique was used to stabilize the inoculum. The method consisted of incubating the twice-washed cells at 37 C for 45 min in distilled water. Survival and growth studies indicated that the stabilizing procedure (i) did not affect cell numbers, (ii) was optimal for depleting possible carry-over of vitamin B(12) or other nutrilites and reserves, and (iii) brought about a phasing of the cells of the inoculum which underwent logarithmic growth immediately on inoculation. This minimal period (45 min) was the same when the cells were incubated in dextrose-water. Survival of the cells in physiological saline was greater than in distilled water, but a longer time was required for stabilizing the inoculum in saline, which precluded its use in routine work. The prepared inoculum showed an improvement over the washed inoculum in that readings between duplicate and triplicate tubes agreed closely and the standard curves were reproducible whether acidimetric or turbidimetric methods were followed. No erratic results were noted in more than 1 year of testing.

Filament formation by Lactobacillus leichmannii when desoxyribosides replace vitamin B12 in the growth medium

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