Bifidus growth-promoting substance from barley malt was investigated in vitro using a milk medium. Active substance of hot water extract from malt (MWE) on the bacterial growth was judged to be protein and peptide. In the case of the malt extract, the substance was found to be low molecule peptide.

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Nucleotoxic steroids, 4-cholesten-3-one-producing species of intestinal bacteria were inves-tigated. 188 Bacterial strains of Clostridium, Bacteroidaceae, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium, Peptococcaceae, Lactobacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Enterococcus were incubated in cholesterol supplemented M10 broth for 7 days and steroids produced were analyzed by HPLC. It was found that Clostridium clostridiiforme, C. coccoides, C. cochlearium and C. oroticum could convert cholesterol into 4-cholesten-3-one. These bacteria could play a role in etiology of colon cancer in humans.

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