Candida albicans strain B 311-10 with and without starvation was cultivated in the minimal synthetic medium of Shepherd et al., modified without biotin, amino acids, low glucose concentration and with decreasing amounts of (NH4)2SO4, to determine the optimal growth requirement for this strain. All the experiments were carried out under sterile conditions at 25 degrees C in a thermostat with initial O.D.s (675 nm) of 0.500 and 0.100. Cell growth was generally monitored everyday for six days with a spectrophotometer by determining the absorbance of the cultures at 675 nm. All the experiments were repeated three times and a statistical analysis of the data with a probability of 99% and 1% of error was performed to confirm the validity of the results. Best growth was obtained with starved cells at an initial O.D. of 0.100 and with a 0.1 g/L concentration of (NH4)2SO4. At this concentration, the growth of C. albicans B 311-10 was best between the first and the fourth day with the maximum at the third day. With (NH4)2SO4 concentrations of 0.05 and 0.5 g/L, cell growth was the same.

Summary. A study of the vaginal yeast flora in pregnant women living in Cusco and in its region (Peru), located approximately 3000 m above sea level, is reported. We observed 300 pregnant, healthy and non‐diabetic women who attended a gynaecological clinic in the Lorena, Regional or IPSS (Institute Peruano de Seguridad Social) hospitals in Cusco. A comprehensive clinical history was obtained from each patient. It included age, work, parity, time of pregnancy, use of contraceptives or antibiotics, type of vaginal symptoms, type and amount of vaginal secretion. The yeasts were isolated from 44.3% of the cases. The positive cases were more frequently found in the following categories: 20–30 year‐old patients (69.2%), ninth month of pregnancy (49.6%), first pregnancy (41.4%), no delivery (58.7%) and no abortion (66.9%). Most women complained of leukorrhea (75.9%) with mucus, scarce without odour (18.8%) or lumpy, regular, without odour (15.8%) secretion. The yeasts isolated were Candida albicans (66.2%), other Candida species (12.8%), Torulopsis glabrata (8.3%) or other Torulopsis species (2.2%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (7.5%), Rhodotorula sp. (1.5%) and Tricho‐sporon cutaneum (1.5%). Zusammenfassung. Es wird über die vaginale Hefeflora bei Schwangeren in Cusco, Peru, und Umgebung berichtet, einer Region, die etwa 3000 m über dem Meeresspiegel liegt. In die Studie eingeschlossen wurden 300 schwangere, nicht‐diabetische, anderweitig gesunde Frauen, die die gynäkologische Kliniken in Cusco oder in der Lorena‐Region aufsuchten. Von jeder Patien‐tin wurde ein ausführlicher klinischer Bericht aufgenommen, der Alter, Beschäftigung, Zahl der Schwangerschaften, Schwangerschaftsstatus, frü‐here Anwendung von Kontrazeptiva und Anti‐biotika, Art der vaginalen Symptomatik sowie Typ und Ausmaß der Vaginalsekretion umfaßte. Von 44.3% der Patientinnen wurden Hefen iso‐liert. Hefepositivität wurde häufiger in folgenden Kategorien gefunden: 20‐30 Jahre alte Patientinnen (69.2%), neunter Schwangerschaftsmonat (49.6%), Erstschwangerschaft (41.4%), Frauen ohne bisherige Entbindung (58.7%), Frauen ohne bisherigen Abort (66.9%). Die meisten Frauen klagten über Leukorrhoe (75.9%) mit Schleimfluß, wenig Ausfluß jedoch mit Geruch (18.8%) oder klumpige regelmäßige Sekretion ohne Geruch (15.8%). Die isolierten Hefearten waren Candida albicans (66.2%), andere Candida‐Arten (12.8%), Torulopsis glabrata (8.3%), andere Torulopsis‐Arten (2.3%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (7.5%), Rhodotorula‐Arten (1.5%) und Trichospo‐ron cutaneum (1.5%).