RIBOFLAVINE 



of animals to infection and the vitamin B content of the diet may be 

 disappointing, but is hardly surprising. As will be seen subsequently 

 (see page 203) ribofiavine, like aneurine, is a growth factor for micro- 

 organisms as well as for animals, and it is to be expected, therefore, 

 that ingested ribofiavine would stimulate the growth of the invading 

 organisms to a similar or even greater extent than it benefits the host. 

 It might well be imagined, for example, that, where either the invading 

 organism does not require the particular growth factor or this is not 

 available to it, administration of a vitamin or mixture of vitamins 

 might help the host to resist infection, whereas in other instances the 

 beneficial effect on the host might be counter-balanced by the stimu- 

 latory effect of the supplement on the micro-organism. This, it is 

 suggested, is the explanation of the variable effect of aneurine and 

 ribofiavine on animals infected with different parasites. 



References to Section 9 



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2. H. Chick, T. F. Macrae and A. N. Worden, Biochem. /., 1940, 34, 



580. 



3. H. M. Baum, J. F. Michaelree and E. B. Brown, Science, 1942, 



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172 



