A METHOD FOR COUNTING THE TOTAL BACTERIA IN AMMONIATED HEVEA LATEX SYSTEMS |
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| Authors: | D. H. TAYSUM |
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| Affiliation: | The Rubber Research Institute of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |
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| Abstract: | SUMMARY: A method has been developed for obtaining the total count of bacteria in ammoniated Hevea latex systems. This involves ultracentrifugation of latex or latex concentrate diluted in isotonic saline and the modified use of a normal phase contrast microscope to give a dark ground effect. Examples are given of the degree of bacterial contamination of field latex and concentrate. In these inhibitory ammoniated systems the total count may be high even if the viable count is low: in fact, in all the commercial latex concentrates examined the total count exceeded 108 cells/ml. The value of interference and fluorescence microscopy has also been studied. |
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