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. 1998 Nov;36(11):3266–3272. doi: 10.1128/jcm.36.11.3266-3272.1998

TABLE 2.

Biochemical characteristics of S. ficaria: comparison between human and environmental strains

Test % Positivity
Total (n = 42 strains) Human strains (n = 11 strains) Strains from environment (n = 31 strains) Pa
Catalase 100 100 100
Cytochrome oxidase 0 0 0
Nitrate reduction to nitrite 69 100 52 0.01
Nitrate reduction to N2 31 0 48 0.01
H2S production 0 0 0
Lipase 0 0 0
Gelatinase 57 91 45 0.01
DNase at 25°C 43 64 35 NS
Urease 0 0 0
Indole production 0 0 0
Enzyme tests
 Arginine dihydrolase 0 0 0
 Lysine decarboxylase 0 0 0
 Ornithine decarboxylase 0 0 0
 Tryptophan desaminase 0 0 0
 l-Aspartic acid arylamidase 0b
Voges-Proskauer test 71 91 65 NS
Phenol red acidification 38 9 48 0.03
Esculin hydrolysis 100 100 100
Oxidation of:
 Glucose 100 100 100
 Lactose 67 55 71 NS
 Maltose 100 100 100
 Mannitol 100 100 100
 Xylose 100 100 100
Acid from:
 Adonitol 79 55 87 0.03
 Amygdalin 95 91 97 NS
 l-Arabinose 86 82 87 NS
 d-Arabitol 98 100 97 NS
 l-Arabitol 55 36 61 NS
 Cellobiose 60 45 65 NS
 Galacturonate 64 73 61 NS
 Glucose 100 100 100
 Inositol 62 91 52 0.03
 5-Ketogluconate 100 100 100
 Maltose 86 82 87 NS
 Mannitol 95 91 97 NS
 Melibiose 55 64 52 NS
 Palatinose 48 18 58 0.03
 Raffinose 95 91 97 NS
 Rhamnose 2 9 0 NS
 Sorbitol 60 82 52 NS
 Sucrose 93 91 94 NS
 Trehalose 100 100 100
Glucose fermentation in the presence of:
 2,4,4′-Trichloro-2′-hydroxy-diphenylether (0.3 g/liter) 64 91 55 0.04
 P-Coumaric (2 g/liter) 100 100 100
Enzyme tests
 α-Galactosidase 93 100 90 NS
 β-Galactosidase 71 45 81 0.03
 α-Glucosidase 60 82 52 NS
 β-Glucosidase 100 100 100
 β-Glucuronidase 0 0 0
 α-Maltosidase 43 18 52 0.05
 N-Acetyl-β-glucosaminidase 0 0 0
Utilization of:
 Acetamide 0 0 0
 Citratec 100 100 100
 Malonate 0 0 0
Growth in the presence of polymyxin B (0.3 g/liter) 0 0 0
a

P values were determined by the χ2 test. NS, not significant. 

b

Doubtful for 12% of strains. 

c

A rate of positivity of 100% on Simmons citrate agar and also with Vitek GNI cards. This characteristic is very difficult to read when API 20E galleries are used (positive, 27%; negative, 19%; doubtful, 17%).