Applications of novel direct bioautography tests for analysis of antimicrobials: a review.

TLC coupled to direct bioautography detection can be applied to the analysis of various antimicrobial agents in complex matrixes. Because of the lack of commercially available microbiological detection methods, two direct bioautography tests were developed in our laboratory to be used after TLC separation. One method was based on Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, and the other on Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli. These tests can be used for detection and determination of wide spectrum of antimicrobials as well as for other, nontypical purposes, such as choosing the best sample preparation method before the analysis. Some of the more interesting applications of the newly developed tests are described in this paper.