The ability of bacteria to use Na-hyaluronate as a nutrient

The objective of this study was to test bacteria ability to use Na-hyaluronate as a nutrient in vitro. Thirteen bacteria strains were tested in three different media: specific culture medium, agar-Healon medium and agar-Healon GV medium. The bacterial growth criteria were determined by counting the number of new colonies appearing at each observation time (0, 24, 48 and 72 h). The results were expressed as the percentage of growth in agar-Na-hyaluronate compared to each corresponding specific culture medium. After 24 h in the medium containing agar-Healon, S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. pyogenes and S. viridans grew using hyaluronic acid as a nutrient. The percentage of growth of these species remained constant over the follow-up period. The other bacteria strains tested were unable to use Healon as a nutrient. After 24 h of incubation in the medium containing agar-Healon GV, S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. pyogenes, and S. viridans exhibited about 20% growth. Subsequently, this percentage slowly increased to about 50%. The other bacteria stains tested were unable to employ Healon GV as a nutrient. With the exception of Staphylococci and Streptococci, the other species do not synthesize the necessary enzymes to break glucosidic bonds, therefore neither concentration of hyaluronic acid can be utilized as a source of carbohydrate for their survival in culture media.