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. 1981 Oct;34(1):50–54. doi: 10.1128/iai.34.1.50-54.1981

Stimulation of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin formation by caffeine and theobromine.

R G Labbe, L L Nolan
PMCID: PMC350819  PMID: 6271685

Abstract

In the presence of 100 micrograms of caffeine per ml or 200 micrograms of theobromine per ml, sporulation of Clostridium perfringens NCTC 8679 rose from less than 1 to 80 or 85%. Enterotoxin concentration increased from undetectable levels to 450 micrograms/mg of cell extract protein. Heat-resistant spore levels increased from less than 1,000 to between 1 X 10(7) and 2 X 10(7)/ml. These effects were partially reversible by the addition of adenosine or thymidine. In the case of NCTC 8238, caffeine and theobromine caused a three- to fourfold increase in the percentages of cells possessing refractile spores and a similar increase in enterotoxin concentration. Heat-resistant spore levels, however, were unaffected. Inosine was ineffective in promoting sporulation in NCTC 8679.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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