New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 339 



CONCERNING PHYTIN IN CORN. 



The organic phosphoric acid compound occurring in corn nns been 

 particularly studied by Vorbrodt. 1 In an exhaustive treatise on 

 the subject he reports analytical results obtained from crystalline 

 barium salts which led him to believe that the substance was different 

 from phytin. The barium salt corresponded to the formula C, 2 H 2 6 

 04 6 PnBa 7 according to which the formula of the acid would be 

 C12H40O46P11. Vorbrodt also showed that the substance gave inosite 

 and phosphoric acid on cleavage either with dilute sulphuric acid 

 or water alone in neutral solution. 



The same subject has also been investigated by Hart and Tot- 

 tingham. 2 They report the preparation and analysis of the free 

 acid. The analytical data agrees very closely with that required 

 for phytic acid and they concluded that corn contains phytin. They 

 also showed that the acid yields inosite on hydrolysis in a sealed 

 tube in the presence of dilute sulphuric acid. 



We have undertaken to reexamine this substance in the hope 

 of identifying it either with phytic acid or the compounds which we 

 have shown to exist in cottonseed meal 3 and oats. 4 



At first we were unable to obtain the barium salt in crystalline 

 form but the amorphous salt gave results on analysis which approxi- 

 mately agreed with the corresponding barium phytate. The free 

 acid, prepared from this amorphous compound, gave about one 

 per ct. too high carbon and about 0.8 per ct. too high phosphorus. 



We finally succeeded, however, in preparing a crystalline barium 

 salt. It was purified by repeated recrystallizations until the com- 

 position remained constant. The product was free from inorganic 

 phosphate and it did not contain a determinable quantity of bases 

 other than barium. Judging by crystal-form, composition and 

 properties the substance is identical with those previously isolated 

 from cottonseed meal 5 and oats. 6 



The analytical results obtained from these purified crystalline 

 barium salts do not agree with the formula proposed by Vorbrodt. 7 

 We find the phosphorus over 1 per ct. higher and the relation between 

 carbon and phosphorus is as 1:1. The phosphorus content is also 

 considerably higher than that required for a corresponding salt 

 calculated on the usual phytic acid formula. 



The barium salt analyzed by Vorbrodt had been prepared from 

 the previously isolated acid by partially neutralizing with barium 



1 Anzeiger Akad. Wiss. Krakau, 1910, Series A, p. 484. 



2 Wis. Agr. Exp. Sta., Research Bull. 9, 1910. 



3 Journ. Biol. Chem. 13:311, 1912, and N.Y. Agr. Exp. Sta., Tech. Bull. 25, 1912. 



4 See preceding article. 



6 hoc. cit. 



5 hoc. cit. 



7 hoc. cit. 



