198 



Scientific Proceedings (121). 



92 (1839) 



The vitamine requirements of certain yeasts and bacteria. 



By LOUIS FREEDMAN 1 and CASIMIR FUNK. 



[From the Laboratory of Biochemistry, College of Physicians and 

 Surgeons, Columbia University, and the Research Laboratory 

 of H. A. Metz, New York City.] 



In discussing the nutritional requirements of the microorgan- 

 isms, we cannot overlook the important role that the vitamines 

 play. The identity of the vitamine that influences the growth of 

 the lower organisms is still an open question. The bulk of evi- 

 dence, however, points strongly to the conclusion that this sub- 

 stance is distinct from vitamine B, although it is closely related 

 to it; and our results lead us to draw the same conclusion. 



Preliminary experiments with beef-heart infusions, peptone, 

 and autolyzed yeast solutions, have shown us that these media 

 contain substances which have a comparable growth-stimulating 

 action on hemolytic streptococci and yeast cells. Thus a beef- 

 heart infusion gives a profuse growth when inoculated with 

 streptococci, whereas this medium, when decolorized by boiling 

 with 2 per cent, of its weight of norit charcoal, loses its growth- 

 stimulating activity, even on addition of a glucose-salt solution. 

 This confirms some of the results obtained by Mueller. When 

 I per cent, peptone or autolyzed yeast solutions are added to the 

 decolorized infusion, the medium again becomes favorable for 

 the growth of streptococci. Analogous results were obtained with 

 these substances on the growth of yeast cells. 



As it was more desirable to separate these activating substances 

 from the bulk of impurities with which they are associated in their 

 natural media, we subjected beef-heart infusions and autolyzed 

 yeast solutions to fractional adsorption by means of fuller's earth 

 and norit according to the method of Funk and Dubin. These 

 authors have shown that at least two different substances can be 

 separated from autolyzed yeast by means of fractional adsorption 



1 The data in this paper was taken from a dissertation to be presented by Louis 

 Freed man in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Faculty 

 of Pure Science, Columbia University. 



