Streptococcus alactolyticus is the dominating culturable lactic acid bacterium species in canine jejunum and feces of four fistulated dogs

Canine intestinal lactic acid bacterium (LAB) population in four fistulated dogs was cultured and enumerated using MRS agar. LAB levels ranging from 1.4 x 10(6) to 1.5 x 10(7) CFU ml(-1) were obtained in jejunal chyme. In the fecal samples 7.0 x 10(7) and 2.0 x 10(8) CFU g(-1) were detected. Thirty randomly selected isolates growing in the highest sample dilutions were identified to species level using numerical analysis of 16S and 23S rDNA restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns (ribotyping) and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. According to these results, Streptococcus alactolyticus was the dominant culturable LAB species in both feces and jejunal chyme. In addition, Lactobacillus murinus and Lactobacillus reuteri were detected. (C) 2003 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.