Microbiological Formation and Preparation of 3-Ketoglycosides from Disaccharides

Abstract

The conditions for the formation, the isolation and the purification of a new class of disaccharide derivatives, namely 3-ketoglycosides, are described. These compounds are formed by the action of certain bacteria, provisionally called Alcaligenes faecalis, on lactose, maltose, lacto- or maltobionate. From lactose about 75% of the total amount was converted into the corresponding 3-ketoglycoside. Neither the corresponding monoses, gluconate nor equimolar mixtures of these substances were oxidized this way. The new substances were utimately purified by paper chromatography. No crystalline preparations have so far been obtained. These bacteria contain strong hydrolases for either maltose or lactose, and weak ones for the bionates. The yield of 3-ketoglycosides is inversely proportional to the hydrolase activity.