Effect of bile and desoxycholate on gram-negative anaerobic bacteria

The bile tests for characterizing gram-negative anaerobic bacilli were reevaluated in prereduced anaerobically sterilized peptone-yeast-glucose broth, in thioglycollate broth, and on blood agar plates. Blood agar plates were unsatisfactory. The combination of 20% bile with 0.1% desoxycholate inhibited Fusobacterium, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, and B. oralis and sometimes Sphaerophorus necrophorus, but not B. fragilis or other Sphaerophorus species studied. Ten per cent bile with 0.05% desoxycholate was less satisfactory. There was no significant difference between fresh and commercial powdered bile. Desoxycholate (0.1% in thioglycollate broth) inhibited B. fragilis, Fusobacterium, B. melaninogenicus, B. oralis, and S. necrophorus, but not S. varius or S. mortiferus/S. ridiculosus. The bile and desoxycholate tests are simple to perform and helpful for characterization and classification of gram-negative anaerobic bacilli.