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SummaryBiotin production and the growth of the strains of Bifido bacterium adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B, infantis, and B. longum were studied. These five strains showed heavy growth on BL medium. But when yeast extract medium (carbon source, glucose) was used, the extent of their growth was significantly decreased, one-half or less than that of the growth on BL medium. B. bifidum grew well on yeast extract medium containing oligosaccharides, such as isomaltooligosaccharide, and produced biotin extracellularly. The utilization of oligosaccharides in biotin production by these five strains was investigated.

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SummaryThe growth requirement or growth-promoting effect of biotin-vitamers on bacteria and yeasts was investigated. Biotin, dethiobiotin and biocytin (N-e-biotinyl-L-lysine) were shown to be required for growth in a number of bacteria and yeasts. The biological activity of dethiobiotin was relatively higher than that of biotin, but was negative for lactic acid bacteria. Biocytin had high activity for Bacillus subtilis (natto), Debaryomyces japonicus and Hansenula capsulate. The biotin activity of 7-keto-8-aminopelargonic and 7,8-diaminopelargonic acids was low or negligible for bacteria but relatively high for yeasts such as the genera of Endomyces, Endomycopsis and Saccharomyces. Pimelic, pelargonic and pelargonylhydroxamic acids had no growth requirement fo r or growth-promoting effect on any of the bacteria or yeasts tested.

Lactate bacteria of the Lactobacillus and Streptococcus genera are normally employed in cheese making because these microbes have potent ability to produce lactate dehydrogenase. A milk-clotting enzyme is also necessary to make cheese. Recently, we discovered that some mushroom genera produce both lactate dehydrogenase and a milk-clotting enzyme. Using the mushroom Schizophyllum commune in place of a lactate bacterium, we produced a cheese-like food that contained about 0.58% beta-D-glucan, which has been shown to have preventive effects against cancer. The food also exhibited thrombosis prevention activity, prolonging the thrombin clotting time to 49.6-fold that of the control.