Nitrogen‐Gas Bubbling during the Cultivation of <i>Clostridium tetani</i> Produces a Higher Yield of Tetanus Toxin for the Preparation of Its Toxoid

Abstract

We investigated the effect of exposing cultures of Clostridium tetani to nitrogen (N2) gas on the recovery of tetanus toxin to be processed for the preparation of its toxoid. N2 was bubbled through nine 10-liter cultures during the growth of the bacteria, while nine parallel control incubations were maintained without bubbling. We found that treatment of the C. tetani anaerobes with an inert gas in this manner during cultivation produced a highly significant increase in the yield of tetanus toxin from them in comparison with the standard procedure.