INTESTINAL SYNTHESIS 



that received i mg. of pyridoxin e hydrochloride per day gave values 

 of 5 to 20-8 (average 11-2) /xg. per 100 ml. 



References to Section 11 



1. J. V. Scudi, H. F. Koones and J. C. Keresztesy, Proc. Soc. Exp. 



Biol. Med., 1940, 43, 118. 



2. J. V. Scudi, K. Unna and W. Antopol, /. Biol. Chem., 1940, 135, 



371- 



3. J. Flexner and M. R. Chassin, /. Clin. Invest., 1941, 20, 313. 



4. T. D. Spies, R. K. Ladisch and W. B. Bean, /. Amer. Med. Assoc, 



194O' 115, 839. 



5. M. Swaminathan, Indian J. Med. Res., 1941. 29, 561. 



6. M. Swaminathan, ibid.. 557. 



7. J. V. Scudi, R. P. Buhs and D. B. Herd, /. Biol. Chem., 1942, 142, 



323- 



8. J, W. Huff and W. A. Perlzweig, ibid., 1944. 155, 345- 



9. B. C. Johnson, T. S. Hamilton and H. H. Mitchell, ibid., 1945, 



158, 619. 

 ga. J. C. Rabinowitz and E. E. Snell, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 

 1949, 70, 235. 



10. S. Lepkovsky and E. Nielsen, /. Biol. Chem., 1942, 144, 135. 



11. P. J. Fouts and S. Lepkovsky, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 1942, 



50, 221. 



12. L. D. Greenberg and J. F. Rinehart, ibid., 1949, 70, 20. 



12. INTESTINAL SYNTHESIS OF VITAMIN Be 



The first hint that pyridoxine might be synthesised in animals by 

 intestinal bacteria was given by Chick et al.} who found that the 

 addition of cereal starches to the diet reduced the incidence of der- 

 matitis and epileptiform fits in rats maintained on a vitamin Bg de- 

 ficient diet ; they suggested that the starch favoured the growth of 

 bacteria capable of synthesising pyridoxine or other substances with 

 vitamin Bg activity. 



Further evidence in support of this view was obtained by Sarma 

 et al.,^ who found that rats, when maintained on a sucrose-blood 

 fibrin diet, failed to grow, but that when dextrin was substituted for 

 sucrose, growth was resumed and the excretion of 4-pyridoxic acid 

 (page 326) increased. vSulphathalidine prevented growth, whilst 

 pyridoxine increased it, whence it was concluded that dextrin favoured 

 the intestinal synthesis of pyridoxine, which was then utilised by the 

 rat. Rats on a vitamin Bg-deficient diet grew slowly and, if given 

 sulphasuxidine, died.^" The deficiency was cured by pyridoxine. 

 The existence of intestinal synthesis in man was demonstrated by 



327 



