Species identificafion of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Actinomyces isolated from human carious dentine.

Fifty-eight obligately anaerobic rods, which were isolated from human carious dentine and produced lactic acid as a major end product, namely Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Actinomyces, were identified. Of 26 isolates ofLactobacillus, 9 isolates were identified as L. minutus, 8 isolates as L. plantarum, 3 isolates as L. crispatus and 3 isolates as L. catenaforme (including1 L. catenaforme-like strain). One isolate resembled L. cellobiosus and one resembled L. brevis. The other one could not be identified. Of 19 isolates of Bifidobacterium, 8 isolates were identified as B. bifidum (including 3 B. bifidum-like strains) and 11 isolates resembled B. breve. Of 13 isolates of Actinomyces, 7, 5 and 1 isolates were identified A. israelii, A. naeslundii and A. Odontolyticus, respectively. The species identifications of these isolates provide informations that the obligately anaerobic species of genus Lactobacillus and the obligately anaerobic strains of Actinomyces species were isolated frequently from carious dentine with adoption of an anaerobic glove box system.