In Vitro Detoxification Studies of p-Cresol by Intestinal Bacteria Isolated from Human Feces.

p-Cresol is a neurotoxic and nephrotoxic carcinogenic aromatic substance produced as a result of microbial fermentation in the intestine. The derivatives of p-cresol (p-cresyl sulphate or p-cresyl glucuronide) have a deleterious effect on renal failure patients undergoing hemodialysis. Human gut seems to be inhabited with a diverse microbial population capable of detoxifying many aromatic compounds.