Resumen de A numerical taxonomic study of the Pseudomonas flora isolated from poultry meat

D.L. Massart, J. Van Hoof, I. Arnault-Rollier, L.A. Devriese, Paul De Vos, L. De Zutter, L. Vauterin

• Pseudomonas strains were isolated from both fresh and cold‐stored broiler skin. Phenotypically‐based numerical taxonomic techniques were used to characterize the isolates and 36 reference strains. For this purpose, Biolog GN Microplates, API 20NE and a number of other biochemical tests were used. Jaccard clustering revealed the predominance of four major Pseudomonas groups: Ps. fragi, Ps. lundensis, strains belonging to Ps. fluorescens biovars and an unidentified group of strains displaying a high degree of similarity to Ps. fluorescens biovars. Within Ps. fluorescens, biovar A was best represented. The marked proteolytic character of members of Ps. fluorescens biovars A, B and C, as well as of members of the unidentified cluster, supports their possible role in the origin of organoleptic defects. In the Ps. lundensis cluster, a distinct group of Ps. lundensis‐like species was found. Further genotypic studies should be carried out to clarify the taxonomic status of the Ps. lundensis‐like strains and that of the unidentified group resembling Ps. fluorescens biovars A and B.