Isolation of an anaerobic intestinal bacterium capable of cleaving the C-ring of the isoflavonoid daidzein.

Colonic bacteria were screened for bacteria involved in the conversion of phytoestrogens. A gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, strain HGH 136, capable of conversion of the isoflavonoid daidzein, was isolated and identified as a Clostridium sp. The bacterium cleaved the C-ring of daidzein to produce O-demethylangolensin ( O-Dma). This compound was identified by comparison of the HPLC retention time and UV spectrum of the metabolite with chemically synthesized O-Dma. The identity of the metabolite was confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and NMR using synthetic O-Dma as a standard. The bacterium incubated with synthetic dihydrodaidzein also produced O-Dma. After 3 days of incubation, 28% of added daidzein and 12% of added dihydrodaidzein were converted to O-Dma. This is the first study in which an anaerobic bacterium involved in the ring cleavage of daidzein to produce O-Dma has been identified.