The influence of the pH-value on the growth of Brevibacterium epidermidis in continuous culture

Abstract

Brevibacterium epidermidis is a major component of the bacterial flora of certain skin surface biotopes, characterized by a comparatively high pH-value. The presence of Brevibacterium epidermidis seems to be linked to the production of malodour. Skin surface pH has been found to be a major factor of bacterial growth on the skin. In order to find out if this might also apply to Brevibacterium epidermidis, this microorganism was grown in vitro in continuous culture using a chemostat. Specific growth rate and density of colony forming units were well correlated. While the organism grew readily from pH 5.5 to 8.5, this was not the case with a pH of 5.0. Thus pH-shifts induced by cosmetic procedures can only prevent unpleasant body odour due to abundant growth of bacteria if the pH-value is decreased to 5.0 or less.