200 PHYSIOLOGY [BoT. Absts., Vol. VII, 



1342. KoPELOFF, N., Lillian Kopeloff, and C. J. Welcome. Formation of the gum, 

 levan, by mold spores. I. Identification and quantitative determination. II. Mode of for- 

 mation and influence of reaction. Jour. Biol. Chem. 43: 171-187. 1920. — Mold spores {As'per- 

 gillus Sydowi Bainier) contain an enzyme (levanase) capable of forming the gum, levan, in 

 sucrose solution of all concentrations up to the saturation point. — G. B. Rigg. 



1343. Kopeloff, N., and H. Z. E. Perkins. The deterioration of Cuban raw sugars in 

 storage. Jour. Indust. Eng. Chem. 12: 555-558. 1920. — When Cuban raw sugar is held 5.5 

 months under storage conditions there is a loss in polarization. The loss in polarization in 

 each instance has generally been accompanied by a gain in reducing sugars, indicating that 

 the loss is a true inversion due to microbiological agencies. — Henry Schmitz. 



1344. Neuberg, C, and Els a Reinfurth. Uber den Chemismus der alkoholischen 

 Garung, zugleich Bemerkungen zur gleichnamigen Mitteiltmg von E. Zerner. [The chemistry 

 of alcoholic fermentation.] Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 53: 462-469. 1920. — A critical discus- 

 sion of Zerner' s work. The authors, working along the same line as Zerner, obtained simi- 

 lar results, but deduced different conclusions. — Henry Schmitz. 



1345. Neuberg, C, and Elsa Reinfurth. Uber die Vergarbarkeit der Brenztrauben- 

 saure unter den Bedingungen des Abfangverfahrens. [Concerning the fermentability of 

 pyruvic acid with the removal of intermediate products.] Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. S3: 1039- 

 1052. 1920. — The author demonstrates by eleven different methods that pyruvic acid may 

 be fermented by yeasts in the presence of sodium bisulphite, and interprets this fact as 

 evidence in support of the acetaldehyde-pyruvic acid theory of fermentation. — Henry Schmitz. 



1346. Peterson, W. H., and E. B. Fred. The production of acetaldehyde by certain pen- 

 tose-fermenting bacteria. Jour. Biol. Chem. 44: 29-46. 1920. — In the presence of a fixative, 

 such as calcium sulphite, acetaldehyde is formed in the fermentation of carbohydrates by 

 Bacillus acetoethyliciim, Lactobacillus pentoaceticus and also by an undetermined organism. 

 Aldehyde is produced from glucose and starch but the maximum yield is obtained from xylose. 

 The production of acetaldehyde is correlated with the production of alcohol, an increase in 

 the former results in a decrease in the latter. — G. B. Rigg. 



1347. Raistrick, Harold. Studies on the cycloclastic power of bacteria. Part I. A 

 quantitative study of the aerobic decomposition of histidine by bacteria. Biochem. Jour. 13: 

 447-458. Fig. 7. 1919. — Bacillus paratyphosus A, B. paratyphosus B, B. faecalis alcali- 

 genes, and B. pyocyaneus are able to break the iminazole ring since they produce ammonia 

 both from the side chain and from the iminazole nucleus of the histidine molecule. B. 

 proteus vulgaris produces ammonia from the side chain nitrogen only. — Alva R. Davis. 



1348. Rector, Thos. M. Lipolytic enzymes in olive oil. Jour. Indust. Eng. Chem. 12: 

 156-158. 1920. — A fat-hydrolyzing enzyme, which is totally destroyed by heating the oil at 

 150°C. for 15 minutes, and which retains its activity for a number of years, is contained in 

 untreated, filtered olive oil. — Henry Schmitz. 



1349. ScHOORL, N. Die Volumenanderung bei der Saccharose-Inversion. [Volume 

 changes with saccharose inversion.] Zeitschr. Untersch. Nahrungs- u. Genussmittel 39: 113- 

 121. 1920. 



1350. Speakman, H. B. Gas production during the acetone and butyl alcohol fermentation 

 of starch. Jour. Biol. Chem. 43:401-411. 1920. 



1351. Zerner, E. Uber den Chemismus der alkoholischen Garxmg. [The chemistry of 

 alcoholic fermentation.] Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 53:325-334. 1920.— Evidence is pre- 

 sented to show that when sodium sulphate is added to fermentation cultures glycerine and 

 acetaldehyde are intermediate products and occur along with alcohol. Under normal con- 

 ditions (without sodium sulphite) these two first-named products are not formed. — Henry 

 Schmitz. 



