Isolation and Identification of Bifidobacterium spp.

Taxonomically classified as members of the Bifidobacteriaceae family, bifidobacteria are symbiotic microorganisms that inhabit the intestinal tract of warm-blooded mammals. The members of bifidobacterial species have been isolated from various diverse ecological niches, such as mothers’ milk, infants’ or adults’ stools, human blood, oral cavity, sewage, fermented or raw milk, and hindgut of birds and social insects. This chapter aims to present a comprehensive protocol for culture-dependent enumeration, isolation, and biochemical and molecular identification of Bifidobacterium spp.