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Abstract
Earlier studies on the fermentation of D-[1-14C]- and d-[3,4-14C]glucose by Lactobacillus divergens showed that lactate was the major fermentation product and that it was probably produced by glycolysis. It was therefore recommended that L. divergens be reclassified as a homofermentative organism. In the present investigation, products of d-[1-14C]-, d-[2-14C]- and d-[3,4-14C]glucose fermented by L. divergens were isolated, and their specific radioactivities and the distribution patterns of radioactivity in their C-atoms were determined. The positional labelling patterns of the fermentation products, their specific radioactivities and their concentrations confirmed that glucose is degraded via the glycolytic pathway. Some secondary decarboxylation/dissimilation of pyruvate to acetate, formate and CO2 was also observed. These results provide conclusive proof that L. divergens is indeed a homofermentative organism. Results obtained with d-[U-14C]glucose showed that approximately three-quarters of the lactate but less than 10 % each of the formate and acetate were produced from glucose. The remainder was presumably derived to a varying degree from endogenous non-glucose sources such as fructose and/or amino acids.
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