Effects of Citrate on inhibitory role of Iron in Bacillus Cereus growth and metabolism

Objective: Although trace elements such as iron are essential nutrients for organisms, at high concentration they can be toxic for their growth and modify their metabolic patterns as well. In order to find out the influence of Iron and Iron-Citrate on growth gram-positive bacteria, the present investigation has been undertaken. Methods: In the series of experiments, B.cereus has been incubated in the NB-medium with and without Iron for 5 hours at 37 and with and without Iron-Citrate for 3.5 hours at 37°C. Findings: The results showed that addition of 5.6 and 11.2 mg/L of Fe+2 or Fe+3 in the medium inhibits growth of B.cereus. Citrate counteracts the growth inhibitory effects of high levels of Fe+2, Fe+3. Conclusion: These findings suggested the important role of Citric acid in the suppression of the inhibitory effects of Fe+2 and Fe+3 on B.cereus growth