Type strains of 200 species of yeasts able to ferment glucose and grow on xylose were screened for fermentation of D-xylose. In most of the strains tested, ethanol production was negligible. Nineteen were found to produce between 0.1 and 1.0 g of ethanol per liter. Strains of the following species produce more than 1 g of ethanol per liter in the fermentation test with 2% xylose: Brettanomyces naardenensis, Candida shehatae, Candida tenuis, Pachysolen tannophilus, Pichia segobiensis, and Pichia stipitis. Subsequent screening of these yeasts for their capacity to ferment D-cellobiose revealed that only Candida tenuis CBS 4435 was a good fermenter of both xylose and cellobiose under the test conditions used.

All type strains of 'non-fermentative' yeasts, available in the culture collection of the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, were reinvestigated for their capacity to ferment glucose in the classical Durham tube test. Although visible gas production was absent, nearly all strains produced significant amounts of ethanol under the test conditions. Under conditions of oxygen-limited growth, even strong alcoholic fermentation may occur in a number of yeasts hitherto considered as non-fermentative. Thus, shake-flask cultures of Hansenula nonfermentans and Candida silvae fermented more than half of the available sugar to ethanol. It is concluded that the taxonomic test for fermentation capacity, which relies on detection of gas formation in Durham tubes, is not reliable for a physiological classification of yeasts as fermentative and non-fermentative species.

The microbial contamination of 44 samples of a vitamin A preparation in sucrose syrup was investigated. The contaminants were almost exclusively yeasts and moulds. Microbiological and physicochemical studies showed that sorbic acid was the preservative of choice for this formulation. The results are discussed with respect to the preservation of non-sterile pharmaceuticals.

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