Resistance of vegetative cells of Clostridium welchii to low pH.

Abstract

Summary The resistance of vegetative cells of CI. welchii to low pH was tested in gastric juice and in peptone water of pH 1·5–3·6. The results showed that, for any given strain the death rate increased with decreasing pH; the death rate was dependent on the age of the culture—for cells grown in cooked-meat medium a 5-hr culture was more susceptible to low pH than a 24-hr culture of the same strain; the cells were more susceptible to gastric juice than to peptone water of the same pH.