Calorimetric investigation of m-methoxyphenol effect on Chromobacterium violaceum activity in soil

The microbial activity of Chromobacterium violaceum inoculated in sterile and natural red latosol soil samples was monitored by calorimetry to investigate metabolism of the native organic matter, easily degradable substrates (glucose) and the bacterial inhibitor m-alkoxyphenol. The results show that C. violaceum in sterile soil grows for a few hours, or, if easily degradable nutrients are available in soil, for 80 h. Inoculation of C. violaceum in unsterilized soil affected the metabolism of the native microflora in the presence of m-methoxyphenol with increases in the dissipation of heat per unit of growth.