Heating cells in acid methanol for 30 min without freeze-drying provides adequate yields of fatty acids and alcohols for gas chromatographic characterization of mycobacteria.

We studied the release of mycobacterial fatty acids (as methyl esters) and secondary alcohols after heating both wet and freeze-dried cells in methanolic hydrogen chloride for different time periods. A 30-min heating of the mycobacteria without prior freeze-drying was found adequate in a routine gas chromatographic procedure for strain and species characterization.