LITMUS MILK MEDIUM

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Concordia University Texas *

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2413

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Biology

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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3

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LITMUS MILK MEDIUM PURPOSE: Bacteria may be differentiated based on the variety of reactions in litmus milk, especially species of the genus Clostridium. The medium is also used to maintain cultures of lactic acid bacteria. PRINCIPLE: Litmus milk is an undefined medium consisting of skim milk and azolitmin. Skim milk provides nutrients for growth, with lactose as the carbohydrate source and casein as the primary protein source. Azolitmin is a pH indicator that is pink at an acid pH (4.5) and blue at an alkaline pH (8.3). Between these extremes, it is purple. (The medium is formulated to an initial pH of 6.8, thus accounting for its purple color.) Four basic categories of reaction may occur, either separately or in combination. These are: lactose fermentation, reduction of litmus, casein hydrolysis, and casein coagulation. Lactose is a disaccharide which yields the monosaccharides glucose and galactose when hydrolyzed by the enzyme ß-galactosidase. Glucose may then be fermented to acid end products, lowering the pH and turning the litmus a pink color. This is an acid reaction. Accumulating acid may also cause precipitation of casein and form an acid clot. If gas is produced, fissures may be visible in the clot. Extreme gas production may break the clot and produce stormy fermentation, which is typical of Clostridium perfringens . Some bacteria have proteolytic enzymes such as rennin, pepsin or chymotrypsin that digest casein and coagulate (curdle) the milk. The insoluble rennet curd is soft and retracts from the sides of the tube (unlike an acid clot) leaving behind a grayish fluid called whey. This reaction is a soft clot or soft curd. Proteolysis of the curd occurs if bacteria have the appropriate proteolytic enzymes to break the protein down into its component amino acids. Proteolysis is evidenced by clearing of the fluid. Some bacteria grow in litmus milk but do not ferment the lactose. Rather, they partially digest the casein. This releases NH3 which raises the pH and turns the litmus blue. This is an alkaline reaction. Litmus may act as the electron acceptor during lactose fermentation. Reduction of litmus is evidenced by its conversion to a white color in the lower portion of the tube (the anaerobic zone). Be careful not to confuse accumulation of sediment with reduction of litmus, which should turn all of the tube white except for the upper 2 cm.
Figure 1 Image from: Rossbach, S. (n.d.). Litmus Milk Test. Retrieved from http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rossbach/bios312/LabProcedures/Litmus%20Milk %20Results.html Figure 2 Image from: Kibota, T. (n.d.). Litmus Milk. Retrieved from http://web.clark.edu/tkibota/240/Unknowns/LitmusMilk.htm Reference for this article: Slone, J. (n.d.) Litmus Milk Medium. Unpublished work. Retrieved from https://dcccd.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/xid-11108127_1
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