Studies on the effect of phytagglutinins on some members of Enterobacteriaceae

Extracts of twenty seeds were tested against twenty six organisms belonging to Klebsiella, Proteus, Salmonella, Shigella and Cholera species. Extracts of eleven seeds showed agglutinating activity against twenty four various organism. S. typhi and Kl. aerogenes did not react against any lectin. On the basis of the results it was possible to differentiate various Shigella and Salmonella organisms by various seed extracts. Different isolates of cholera organisms of same serotype and phage type showed different reaction suggesting that probably these organisms possess different antigenic characters. Thus phytagglutinins may be of some help in the identification and subtyping of these organisms.