Claim: One of the closest cultured relatives of Oscillibacter valericigenes is the Clostridium orbiscindens, a resident of some human guts that performs flavonoid metabolism resulting in a by-product called phloretic acid.
Evidence: Based on sequencing of 16S rRNA, O. valericigenes is a member of the clostridial cluster IV, a subgroup of clostridial bacteria typically found in the alimentary canals of animals, including humans. Its closest cultured relatives at the time of its original description in 2007 were Clostridium orbiscindens (found in human feces) and Clostridium viride.