Bifidobacterium-selective isolation and enumeration from chicken caeca by a modified oligosaccharide antibiotic-selective agar medium

Aims: To determine the efficacy and selectivity of an acidified, antibiotic-selective, oligosaccharide-containing media for enumerating Bifidobacterium spp. from chicken caeca samples. Methods and Results: Transoligosaccharide propionate agar medium (TOS) modified by addition of mupirocin (50 mu g ml(-1)) and glacial acetic acid (1%, v/v), did not inhibit the growth of bifidobacteria compared with the control media yet inhibited the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus gallinarum, Lactobacillus helveticus and Streptococcus gordonii. Conclusions: Addition of mupirocin (50 mu g ml(-1)) and glacial acetic acid (1%, v/v) to TOS (TOS-AM50), is an effective selective medium for isolation and enumeration of Bifidobacterium spp. from chicken caeca samples. Significance and Impact of the Study: The development of an intestinal bifidobacteria-selective media contributes to the study of probiotics and prebiotics in poultry and potentially other species.