Characterization of an Inhibitor for Lactobacillus bulgaricus in Tomato Juice

Tomato juice (serum) added to milk in high concentration caused inhibition of acid production by Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The inhibitor was partially purified by adsorption on charcoal. Further isolation and purification involved paper chromatography in two different solvent systems. Ultraviolet-absorption spectra and thin-layer chromatography were used in characterization studies. The inhibitor was found to be a xylose- and adenine-containing nucleotide.