Pyridoxine Nutrition of Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Previous reports from this laboratory have shown that pantothenic acid is essential for the growth of every species of lactic acid bacteria tested (Snell et al., 1937). It has also been shown that while some species of lactic acid bacteria require riboflavin for growth, several do not (Snell and Strong, 1939). In a study of the activity of certain synthetic flavins, a close correlation was found to exist between the rat assay and the bacterial test (Snell and Strong, 1939). Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has been shown to be necessary for the growth of certain lactic acid bacteria (M6ller, 1938). M6ller has shown that 2:4-dimethyl3-hydroxy-5-hydroxymethyl pyridine has a very small vitamin B6 activity and that 2,4,5-trimethyl-3-hydroxypyridine has no activity when tested with Streptobacterium plantarum 10S (M6ller et al., 1939). The objectives of this present study were, first, to examine the vitamin B6 requirements of several species of lactic acid bacteria and, second, to determine the activity of some vitamin B6 analogues for Lactobacillus casei2 with the intention of comparing the observed results with the reported antidermatitic activity of these compounds on rats.