Strains 'MaB-QuH-8' were either derived from an M. aquifolia plant (MaB-QuH-8) from a collection of plant material in Brazil. Agar slant cultures on oatmeal agar (g/l: oatmeal 20, agar 20; pH 7.0-7.2) were used to propagate an inoculum culture on a medium composed as follows (g/l): D-glucose 15, soy flour 15, CaCO₃ 1; KH₂PO₄ 3, NaCl 5;pH 6.5. Cultivation occurred in 500-ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 100 ml medium for 72 h at 28 ℃ and 180 rpm on a rotary shaker. A 5-ml aliquot of this starting culture was used to inoculate 500-ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 100 ml of a medium composed as follows (g/l): D-glucose 10, maltose 20, soytone 2, yeast extract 1, KH₂PO₄ 1, MgSO₄.7H₂O 0.5; pH 5.5 (prior to sterilization). The cultivation was carried out for 96 h at 28 ℃ on rotary shakers (180 rpm).