Biochemical Test of Clostridium botulinum

By Prof Moses Joloba

Basic CharacteristicsProperties (Clostridium botulinum)
Ammonia ProductionPositive (+ve)
20% BileNegative (-ve)
CapsuleNegative (-ve)
CatalaseNegative (-ve)
FlagellaPeritrichous
Gelatin HydrolysisPositive (+ve)
Gram StainingGram-positive
H2SPositive (+ve)
HemolysisPositive (+ve). β-hemolytic
IndoleNegative (-ve)
Milk DigestionMostly Positive (+ve)
Meat DigestionMostly Positive (+ve)
MotilityMostly Positive (+ve)
6.5% NaClNegative (-ve)
OxidaseNegative (-ve)
ShapeStraight to slightly curved rods, 0.6–1.4 × 3.0–20.2 μm.
SporePositive (+ve)
Fermentation of
ArabinoseNegative (-ve)
CellobioseNegative (-ve)
FructoseNegative (-ve)
GalactoseNegative (-ve)
GlucosePositive (+ve)
GlycogenNegative (-ve)
InulinNegative (-ve)
LactoseNegative (-ve)
MaltoseNegative (-ve)
MannitolNegative (-ve)
MannoseNegative (-ve)
MelibioseNegative (-ve)
RaffinoseNegative (-ve)
RhamnoseNegative (-ve)
RiboseNegative (-ve)
SalicinNegative (-ve)
SorbitolNegative (-ve)
StarchNegative (-ve)
SucroseNegative (-ve)
TrehaloseNegative (-ve)
XyloseNegative (-ve)
Amino Acid Utilization
ArgininePositive (+ve)
GlycinePositive (+ve)
PhenylalaninePositive (+ve)
ProlinePositive (+ve)
SerinePositive (+ve)
TyrosinePositive (+ve)
TryptophanPositive (+ve)
Enzymatic Reactions
Casein HydrolysisPositive (+ve)
Esculin HydrolysisPositive (+ve)
LecithinaseNegative (-ve)
LipasePositive (+ve)
Superoxide dismutasePositive (+ve)
Tryptophan DeaminaseNegative (-ve)