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THE MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSAY OF VITAMIN B 12 USING THE DIATOM CYCLOTELLA NANA
Author(s) -
Davis RE,
Nicol DJ
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1967.62
Subject(s) - diatom , vitamin , hydroxocobalamin , vitamin b12 , food science , vitamin b , biology , chemistry , botany , biochemistry , cyanocobalamin
Summary A microbiological assay for vitamin B 12 using the small cetric diatom Cyclotella nana Hustedt is described. The method is suitable for measuring the vitamin B 12 content of a wide variety of materials such as marine waters, tissue and serum. The organism responds equally well to both cyano‐ and hydroxocobalamin, and appears to be relatively insensitive to clinically inactive analogues of the vitamin. Results may be read after four days, either by counting the organisms in an electronic particle counter or by measuring the residual silicon using a simple colour reaction.