Staphylococcal protease assay with dye hide powder, elastin, collagen and udder extract

Colorimetric determinations of proteolytic activity were performed to measure the effects on dye protean substrates including tissue powders. The substrates were assayed with 98 strains obtained from the milk of cows with mastitis. Trypsin was employed as positive control and it verified the susceptibility of the method. Enzymatic activity was estimated in trypsin units per milliliter of incubation mixture. The percentages of strains active on specific proteins were 47.8% for elastin, 61.6% for collagen and when hide powder and udder extract were used as dye substrates, the proteolytic staphylococci were 76.5 and 92.4% respectively. There was no significant difference in hydrolytic activity on proteins between coagulase positive and coagulase negative cocci.