Botulism: a pyrolysis-gas-liquid chromatographic study.

Forty samples of dried Clostridia bacteria were subjected to pyrolysis-gas-liquid chromatography (PGLC). Examination of the key fingerprint peaks enabled the analyst to differentiate the samples into their respective antigenic groups. Peaks occurring at the high boiling end of profile could be used to distinguish proteolytic from non-proteolytic strains of C-botulinum. PGLC has proven to be a highly reproducible as well as a rapid specific method for differentiating and identifying samples of Clostridium botulinum.