On the Formation of Fructose and Kojic Acid by Acetic Acid Bacteria

Kojic acid was found early in 1907 by K. Saito1) in the culture of Aspergillus oryzae on boiled rice and to this discovery followed the labourious researches by T. Yabuta2) on its chemical nature, who gave the name kojic acid to it.Traetta-Mosca's3) work on the formation of this acid from glycerine and carbohydrates by Asp.glaucus and the formation of alcohol from this acid by beer yeast can not be overlooked.H. Wijkman4) mentioned mannite as one of the sources of the formation of this acid in the culture of Aspergillus species.Kinoshita5) isolated 33% of this acid from 10% solution of glucose in the case where 0.5%. of cobaltpurpureochloride was given as the nitrogen source for the mould.H. Tamiya6) confirmed that the optimum concentration of pH for the kojic acid formation by Asp.oryzae lays at 5.5.The same author and Hida7) added to the species of the mould observed by Yabuta as kojic acid producer beside Asp.giganteus, Asp.clavatus and other three species.H. Katagiri and K. Kitahara8) observed also the production of this acid by Asp.oryzae at pH 2.4 under the circumstance that the nutrient contains ammonium sulphate in 0.05% of its concentration.After this Corbellini and Gregorini,9) Wijkman,10) May, Moyer, Wells and Herrick11) studied on this acid.K. Sakaguchi12) studied especially on the condition of