ENTERIC FERMENTATION BASE

Description

Bacteria are differentiated by the carbohydrates they utilize and the types and quantities of acid produced. These differences in enzymatic activity serve as one of the important characteristic by which different species are recognized. This serves as an important criterion in their identification. A variety of different liquid or agar media can be used to measure the ability of test organism to fermentatively utilize carbohydrates. The principle of carbohydrate fermentation is based on Pasteurs studies of bacteria and yeasts, which state that the action of many species of microorganisms on a carbohydrate substrate results in acidification of the medium. The term fermentation is also used in reference to the utilization of carbohydrates by bacteria. Fermentation is an oxidation- reduction metabolic process that takes place in an anaerobic environment, and an organic substrate serves as the final hydrogen (electron) acceptor. This process is detected by observing colour changes in the pH indicator, as acid products are formed.