416 VITAMIN K GROUP 



should be recalled that vitamin Ki and chlorophyll are both compounds of 

 phytol and may be dependent on the supply of this substance. 



Vivino et al.^ have made the interesting observation that honey contains 

 distinct antihemorrhagic activity equivalent to approximately 0.25 7 of 

 2-methyl-l,4-naphthoquinone per gram as determined by the chick assay 

 procedure and interpretation method of Almquist.^" 



B. IN MICROORGANISMS 



Early observations on the development of antihemorrhagic activity in 

 foodstuffs during bacterial spoilage^ and in the droppings of vitamin K- 

 deficient chicks," led to a further study of vitamin K production by micro- 



TABLE IV 



Vitamin K Activities of Preparations of Certain Microorganisms, Expressed 



IN 2-Methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone Units per Gram" 



Microorganism Units per gram 



Bacillus cereus 115 



Bacillus mycoides 155 



Bacillus subtilis 190 



Bacterium aerogenes 20 



Bacterium flexneri 30 



Bacterium proteus 75 



Bacterium typhosum 15 



Erythrobacillus prodigiosus 20 



Escherichia coli 15 



Mycobacterium tuberculosis 55 



Sarcina lutea 100 



Staphylococcus aureus 60 



Adapted from Almquist." For data on several other microorganisms, see this reference. 



organisms.^-' ^* Various pure strains of bacteria were grown on vitamin K- 

 free media, killed by heat, dried, and assayed with the chick. Comparative 

 data on those which showed vitamin K activity are given in Table IV. 

 When receiving very little vitamin K in the diet, the cow is, nevertheless, 

 well supplied with the vitamin which is synthesized by microorganisms in 

 the rumen. ^* In general, species of the mold, yeast, and fungus types were 

 inactive. 



s E. E. Vivino, M. H. Haydalv, L. S. Palmer, and M. C. Tanquary, Proc. Soc. Expll. 



Biol. Med. 53, 9 (1943). 

 1° H. J. Almquist, Biol. Symposia 12, 508 (1947). 

 " H. J. Almquist and E. L. R. Stokstad, J. Nutrition 12, 329 (1936). 

 >2 H. J. Almquist, C. F. Pentler, and E. Mecchi, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 38, 336 



(1938). 

 " H. J. Almquist, Physiol. Revs. 21, 194 (1941). 

 " L. W. McElroy and H. Goss, J. Nutrition 20, 527 (1940). 



