Use of Vibrio fischeri for Screening for Bioactivity in Water Analysis

Combination of HPTLC with the bioluminescence test using Vibrio fischeri enables effective screening for bioactive substances in unknown samples. This paper describes several applications in environmental testing using bioluminescence inhibition in HPTLC. The samples were extracted by solid-phase extraction or applied directly to the TLC plate. After chromatography of the samples the plates were immersed in a suspension of bioluminescence bacteria. The bioactive substances were identified as dark or light zones in comparison with the background of the plate. By the use of this method several types of sports field granule were compared for their toxicity toward Vibrio fischeri. It was also possible to compare the bioactivity of expressway waste water or landfill leachate by use of the method. To evaluate the digital images taken by a CCD camera, inhibition chromatograms over the developed sample tracks were created.