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

To determine the efficacy and selectivity of an acidified, antibiotic-selective, oligosaccharide-containing media for enumerating Bifidobacterium spp. from chicken caeca samples. Transoligosaccharide propionate agar medium (TOS) modified by addition of mupirocin (50 microg 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. Addition of mupirocin (50 microg 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. The development of an intestinal bifidobacteria-selective media contributes to the study of probiotics and prebiotics in poultry and potentially other species.