VITAMIN B₂ ACTIVITY OF 7, 8-DIMETHYL-10-(2, 3, 4-TRIHYDROXY-4-FORMYLBUTYL)ISOALLOXAZINE IN LACTOBACILLUS CASEI

Abstract

The microbial activities of vitamin B₂-aldehyde and vitamin B₂-acid, produced by Schizophyllum commune, a Basidiomycete, were studied. Lactobacillus casei ATCC No. 7469 was used as a test microorganism. B₂-aldehyde exhibited a good response curve in the growth of L. casei. B₂-acid had neither a stimulatory nor an inhibitory effect on the growth. When B₂-aldehyde was incubated with the homogenate of L. casei, it was converted to riboflavin. The flavin formed from B₂-aldehyde by the homogenate not only exhibited an equivalent response curve to authentic riboflavin in the growth of L. casei, but also showed the same R_f value as authentic riboflavin in any paper chromatogram, as far as tested. Hence, the microbial activity of B₂-aldehyde for L. casei seems to be ascribable to riboflavin which is a reduction product of B₂-aldehyde.