Products of glucose and lactate fermentation, and utilization of amino acids by Clostridium estertheticum subspp. laramiense and estertheticum growing in meat juice medium.

The type strains of Clostridium estertheticum subsp. laramiense and C. estertheticum subsp. estertheticum both utilized glucose and glycogen when growing in meat juice medium and fermented lactate, but ceased growth when glucose was exhausted. The fermentation products from glucose were butyrate, acetate, and formate; those from lactate were 1-butanol, ethanol, butyrate, and formate. Both organisms utilized several amino acids (not containing sulfur) during their cultivation in meat juice medium and did not produce H(2)S. The optimum and maximum temperatures for growth of C. estertheticum subsp. laramiense were 10 degrees C, and 20 to 22 degrees C, respectively. Those same optimum and maximum temperatures have previously been determined for C. estertheticum subsp. estertheticum. The pH range for growth of the two organisms, 5.5 to 7.5, was also the same. Both organisms were beta-hemolytic and formed subterminal spores. Thus, the organisms did not display the difference in fermentation products, optimum and maximum temperatures, hemolysis, and spore position that were reported to be the differentiating characteristics of the subspecies. The findings indicate that vacuum-packaged meat should be spoiled similarly by the two type strains.