Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which produce reuterin, a low molecular weight antimicrobial substance, were screened by incubating LAB cells with glycerol in an anaerorobical system. Among the 148 strains of LAB tested, Lactobacillus coryniformis 394 displayed the highest ability to produce reuterin. This strain produced a mixture of reuterin and the corresponding hydrate form which were identified by H-NMR and C-NMR spectrum analyses. Highest amount of reuterin was produced in a glycerol solution containing 0.5% CaCO3 at 25•Ž under anaerobic conditions. Reuterin from L. coryniformis 394 strongly inhibited the growth of fungi, yeast and various strains of bacteria but showed no inhibitory effect on LAB.

A strain (number 19) having the ability to produce some indole alkaloids was isolated from moulded maize silage, and was identical with Penicillium roqueforti. Roquefortine C was isolated from the culture broth in crystalline form as a main alkaloid and was identified as a minor alkaloid by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in a maize silage inoculated with the strain. Further, roquefortine A, B and D together with festuclavine were identified by TLC. The alkaloid contents in silage were analysed to be 2.40 mg kg-' (roquefortine A) and 1.66 mg kg-' (roquefortine C).

The screening of facultative anaerobes with melanoidin-decolorizing activity (MDA)was performed, and some strains were isolated from stored waste water of an alcohol fermentation involving molasses. One of them, strain W-NS,showed high and stable MDA,and was identical with Lactobacillus hilgardii. The decolorization yield of this strain under the optimal conditions was only 28%, however, it was improved to 40% by immobilization of cells within Ca-alginate gel. Unlike Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes, this strain decolorized smaller molecular weight fractions of melanoidin, quickly. Also, the MDA of this strain toward various synthetic melanoidin was quite different from that of Basidiomycetes. Melanoidin, a dark brown pigment, is one of the biopolymers that is hardly decomposed by microorganisms and is wildly distributed in nature. It is also present in molasses and 2429 Coriolus versicolor Ps4a. Furthermore, we4'5) reported the decolorization of molasses waste water by a thermophilic Aspergillus strain

The continuous decolorization of molasses waste water (MWW) by immobilized cells of Lactobacillus hilgardii W-NSwas studied. The immobilized cells showed the maximal decolorization yield in the presence of 1%glucose with a mediumpH of 5.0 at 45°C. On successive decolorization of MWW, with recycling of the immobilized cells, more than 90% of the maximal decolorization yield was maintained for one month when0.05% peptone was added to MWW. In contrast, on continuous decolorization in a columntype reactor, a sufficient decolorization yield could not be maintained, the decolorization yield dropping to half the maximal level during operation for 5 days. But the feeding of MWW adjusted to the pH of 7.3, compared with the maximal pH value (5.0), slowed down the decrease in the decolorization yield.In our previous study,1} melanoidin-decolorizing activity (MDA) was found in some aerotolerant bacteria.