Degradazione microbica della digitonina

Summary

An organism has been isolated through enrichment cultures a 40°C which could convert digitonin into a substance or a complex of substances having a melting point between 263°C and 275°C. It is not soluble in water, devoided of hemolytic activity, antihemolytic with regard to digitonin itself; it prevents hemolysis due to low osmotic pressure and specific hemolysis due to hemolytic serum. This attack is only partial, since digitonin is partially linked with the substance which precipitates through the action of the organism. From these two substances a compound results, probably a digitonide, which cannot be attacked anymore by the organism.