Evidence of epoxide hydrase activity in human intestinal microflora.

Cholesterol-5 alpha, 6 alpha-epoxide has been implicated as an etiologic agent in human colon cancer. The epoxide is metabolized by human intestinal microflora to a product which was characterized by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography as well as combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Chromatographic properties are identical with authentic cholestan-3 beta, 5 alpha, 6 beta-triol, and these results suggest that microbial epoxide hydrase activity is present in the human colon.