BOUILLON CUBES AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR BEEF 

 EXTRACT OR MEAT IN NUTRIENT MEDIA 



ZAE NORTHRUP WYANT 



From the Bacteriological Laboratory of thi Michigan Agricultural College, 

 East Lansing, Michigan 



Received for publication, December 1, 1919 



During the war the high price of meat and the frequent scarcity 

 'of meat extract seriously hampered the preparation of ordinary 

 nutrient media in large quantities, and ordinary bouillon cubes 

 were therefore tested out as a possible substitute. As these 

 cubes contain, besides beef extract, certain vegetable extracts, 

 their use in media for some organisms might be of doubtful 

 value, while for others the growth would be more or less favored. 

 It was to determine this point that the following experiments 

 were carried out. Bovim and Steero bouillon cubes were used 

 in all the tests. Comparisons were made of cultures grown in 

 similar broths made from each kind of cube. 



Two lots of 500 cc. each of broth were prepared using Bovim 

 and Steero cubes respectively in the proportions of one cube to 

 250, 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 cc. of water. 



The cubes were dissolved in boiling tap water, the peptone 

 added and dissolved; then the liquid was cooled to coagulate the 

 fats present, and filtered cold, after which it was tubed and 

 sterilized at 15 pounds in the autoclave. 



Subsequent to sterilization two tubes of each dilution both 

 with and without peptone were inoculated with the following 

 organisms, B. typhosus, B. prodigiosus, B. subtilis, B. coli and 

 B. botulinus. Results proved entirely satisfactory. 



Since these experiment were concluded (nearly a year) the 

 use of bouillon cubes as a substitute for meat extract in ordinary 

 media has been general and has given entire satisfaction to all 

 our laboratory staff. As a substitute for meat it is as satis- 



189 



JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, VOL. V, NO. 2 



