Avoparcin and vancomycin: useful antibiotics for the isolation of brewery lactic acid bacteria

Vancomycin (30 μg) and avoparcin (20 μg) have no effect on growth of hetero‐fermentative lactobacilli, mesophilic homofermentative lactobacilli, Lactobacillus salivarius and bacteria of the genera Leuconostoc and Pediococcus. The growth of thermophilic homofermentative lactobacilli (with the exception of Lacto salivarius ), enteric and lactic streptococci and all other Gram‐positive bacteria encountered in breweries (and likely to be encountered in foods) is inhibited by these antibiotics. The recovery of sub‐lethally stressed cells is slightly reduced by the presence of either antibiotic. Vancomycin and avoparcin are useful selective agents for the detection of lactic acid bacteria in the brewing industry and may also be of use, for quality control purposes, in the distilling, wine, cider, dairy and meat industries. These antibiotics may also find applications in differentiation of pediococci from streptococci, and in rapid identification of lactobacilli.