Volatile fatty acid requirements of cellulolytic rumen bacteria.

A gas chromatographic method was developed which could separate the isomers isovaleric and 2-methylbutyric acid. Subsequent analyses revealed that most commercially available samples of these acids were cross-contaminated; however, one sample of each acid was found to be pure by this criterion. The growth response of seven strains of cellulolytic rumen bacteria (three strains of Bacteroides succinogenes, three strains of Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and one strain of R. albus) to additions of isobutyric, isovaleric, 2-methylbutyric, valeric, and combinations of valeric and a branched-chain acid was determined. Strains of B. succinogenes required a combination of valeric plus either isobutyric or 2-methylbutyric acid. Isovaleric acid was completely inactive. Either isobutyric or 2-methylbutyric acid was required for the growth of R. albus 7. Strain C-94 of R. flavefaciens grew slowly in the presence of any one of the three branched-chain acids, but a combination of isobutyric and 2-methylbutyric acids appeared to satisfy this organism's growth requirements. None of the individual acids or mixtures of straight- and branched-chain acids allowed growth of R. flavefaciens strain C1a which would approach the response obtained from the total mixture of acids. Further work indicated that all three branched-chain acids were required for optimal growth by this strain, although isovaleric acid only influenced the rate of maximal growth. Either 2-methylbutyric or isovaleric acid allowed growth of nearly the same magnitude as that of the positive control for R. flavefaciens B34b. The presence of acetic acid had little influence on the rate or extent of growth of any of the strains except R. albus 7, for which the extent of growth was markedly increased. Determination of the quantitative fatty acid requirements for the three B. succinogenes strains indicated that 0.1 mumole of valeric per ml and 0.05 mumole of 2-methylbutyric per ml permitted maximal growth. However, with isobutyric acid as the branched-chain component, strains A3c and B21a required 0.1 mumole/ml in contrast to S-85 which exhibited optimal growth at the 0.05 mumole/ml level. By use of mixtures of isobutyric and 2-methylbutyric acids, good growth of C-94 was obtained at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.01 mumole/ml, respectively. About 0.3 mumole/ml of each acid was required for satisfactory growth of C1a.