Simplified gas chromatographic procedure for identification of bacterial metabolic products.

A rapid and simple procedure is described for analysis of fermentation products from anaerobic bacteria grown in glucose broth. A 1-ml sample of the culture is drained through cation-exchange resin in a Pasteur pipette. The effluent fluid is directly analyzed isothermally in a gas chromatograph for volatile fatty acids (C(2) to C(6)) as well as for lactic, pyruvic, and succinic acids. This procedure is considered to be suitable for routine use in clinical bacteriology.