Enzymic racemization of optically active lactic acid

Abstract

IT has been shown in a previous publication [1932] that certain lactic acid bacteria which by themselves form optically active lactic acid produce inactive (dl) lactic acid when grown in association with the acetone butyl alcohol organism Cl. acetobutylicum. This was thought to be due to an associative modification of the metabolism of the lactic acid bacteria, causing them to produce both forms of lactic acid rather than the one form produced normally. It was stated that the formation of inactive lactic acid took place in association with Cl. acetobutylicum but not with the closely related organism Cl. butylicum.