MATERIAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE PLANT 



I8 7 



with proteins, in plants as well as in animals, the labile, complex substances 

 thus produced being split up by hot alcohol. The results of Bondi and Eissler 1 

 support this suggestion. They obtained lipoid-proteins soluble in alcohol, by 

 the linking together of fatty acids and amino acids; these substances are broken 

 down by hydrolyzing enzymes. Since the chemical composition of lipoids is 

 very complex and since they show marked adsorption phenomena, no reliable 

 method for the isolation of lipoids and phosphatides is as yet available. 2 Never- 

 theless numerous investigations already show that lipoids play an extremely 

 important role in the activity of the cell. 3 Studies upon the distribution of 

 lipoids as determined microchemically have been carried out by Ciaccio. 4 

 Kossel 5 states that lecithin is always present in every protoplast. The extended 

 researches of Schulze 6 and his school, and those of Stoklasa 7 and other authors, 

 have demonstrated beyond question that phosphatides are widely distributed 

 in plants. According to Stoklasa, lecithin accompanies proteins in plants, 

 and seeds rich in protein also contain an appreciable amount of phosphatides. 

 The relative protein, phosphatide and fat contents of various seeds are shown 

 below. 



Kind of Seed 



Fats 



Lupinus luteus (yellow lupine) 



Pisum sativum (pea) 



Cannabis saliva (hemp) 



Helianihus annuus (sunflower) 

 Zea mais (maize) 



32 



32 

 4 



38 

 89 



58 

 26 



36 



The researches of Palladin and Stanevich 8 show that plant respiration is 

 dependent upon lipoids. Wheat seedlings were treated with various solvents, 

 toluol, benzene, acetone, benzine, turpentine, chloroform, ether, alcohol. 

 The greater the amount of lipoids extracted, the smaller was the quantity of 



1 Bondi, S., and Eissler, Franz, Ueber Lipoproteide und die Deutung der degenerativen Zellverfettung. 

 VI. Weitere Spaltungsversuche mit Lipopeptiden. Biochem. Zeitsch. 23: 510-513. 1010. 



2 Schulze, E., and Winterstein, E., Phosphatide. In: Abderhalden. Handbuch 2: 256. 1909. [See 

 note 1, p. 158.] 



3 Bang, Ivar, Biochemie der Zellipoide II. Ergeb. Physiol. 8: 463-523. 1909. 



4 Ciaccio, Carmelo, Ueber das Vorkommen von Lecithin in den zellularen; Entziindungsprodukten und 

 iiber besondere lipoidbildende Zellen (Lecithinzellen). Centrlbl. allg. Pathol, u. pathol. Anat. 20: 385-390. 

 1909. 



6 Kossel, A., Chemische Zusammensetzung der Zelle. Arch. Physiol. 1891 : 181-186. 1891. (Review 

 by Sachsse in Chem. Centralbl. 62 1 ' 1 : 37-38. 1891.) 



6 Schulze, E., and Steiger, E., Ueber den Lecithingehalt der Pflanzensamen. Zeitsch. physiol. Chem. 

 13: 365-384. 1889. Schulze, E., and Likiernik, A., Ueber das Lecithin der Pflanzensamen. Ibid. 15: 

 405-414. 1891. Schulze, E., and Winterstein, E., Beitrage zur Kenntnis der aus Pflanzen darstellbaren 

 Lecithine. (Erste Mitteilung.) Ibtd. 40: 101-119. 1903-04. Schulze, E., and Frankfurt, S., Ueber den 

 Lecithingshalt einiger vegetabilischen Substanzen. Landw. Versuchsst. 43 : 307-318. 1894. 



7 Stoklasa, Julius, Die Assimilation des Lecithins durch die Pflanze. Sitzungsber. (math.-naturw. Kl.) 

 K. Akad. Wiss. Wien 104': 712-722. 1895. Idem, Ueber die Entstehung und Umwandlung des Lecithins 

 in der Pflanze. Zeitsch. physiol. Chem. 25 : 398-405. 1898. 



8 Palladin, W., and Stanewitsch, E., Die Abhangigkeit der Pflanzenatmung von den Lipoiden. Bio- 

 chem. Zeitsch. 26: 351-369. 1910. 



