Microorganism Determination of 10 Proprietary Chinese Medicines for Children by Plate Culture or Membrane Filtration

Objective. This study attempted to verify the applicability of the microbial limit test (plate culture and membrane filtration) for 10 proprietary Chinese medicines for children. Methods. In this study, we collected 10 proprietary Chinese medicines for children as study objects and performed plate culture and membrane filtration to calculate the colony-forming unit (cfu) of microorganisms in these medicines and verify its applicability in objectionable microorganisms. Results. It was found that the recovery rate of microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger ranged from 70% to 150%. This verification was performed by plate culture or membrane filtration. Inspection for objectionable microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi B, and bile salt-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria) was applicable for most medicines. Conclusion. Microbial limit test is feasible for the determination of microorganisms in 10 proprietary Chinese medicines for children.