Use of 2-aminoacetophenone production in identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A grapelike odor is often of diagnostic importance in detecting the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in culture and in burn wounds. The compound responsible for the odor has been identified as 2-aminoacetophenone by mass spectroscopy. Although the grape odor is sometimes difficult to detect in culture media, gas chromatographic, fluorometric, and colorimetric methods can be utilized to assay 2-aminoacetophenone production in a variety of media. Its synthesis occurs relatively early in the growth cycle. It has proved easy and convenient to detect 2-aminoacetophenone excretion by P. aeruginosa after 24 h of incubation on blood agar plates employing a fluorometric assay of ether extracts of the agar medium.