RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



CHEMISTRY. 



The proteids of lupine seeds, T. B. Osborne and G. F. Camp- 

 bell {Connecticut State Sta. Bpt. 1896, pp. 342-368).— The author 

 reviews the literature on the subject and reports investigations on the 

 seeds of yellow and blue lupine. It was found that the seeds of yel- 

 low lupine contain " a small quantity of proteid that is soluble in pure 

 water, a large quantity soluble in salt solutions, a small amount solu- 

 ble in potash water, and a little nitrogenous matter, presumably pro- 

 teid, which can not be extracted by these solvents." The proteids of 

 each class were prepared, purified, analyzed, and their characteristic 

 reactions determined. In the case of blue lupine the proteids soluble 

 in water and in salt solution were prepared and examined. In all 48 

 preparations of the proteids iu yellow and blue lupine seed were made 

 and analyzed. The results of the investigation are summarized by the 

 authors as follows: 



"Both yellow and blue lupine seeds contain very little proteid matter soluble in 

 water. The total quantity of proteid soluble iu pure water obtained from the 

 yellow lupine amounted to only 0.37 per cent. Of this a part consists of proteose. 

 Whether tbe remainder is albumin or a globulin soluble in extremely dilute salt 

 solutions, which therefore could not be completely separated by dialysis, was not 

 determined. Peptone is not contained in the freshly ground seed, but is formed 

 in small quantity after prolonged contact with water. 



"The greater part of the proteid matter contained in these seeds is soluble in 

 saline solutions, the yellow lupine yielding 2(5.2 per cent. This is the body known 

 as conglutin, but as heretofore described and as usually obtained it is contaminated 

 with other substances present iu the seed. Preparations from the blue lupine are 

 usually much purer than those from the yellow, for the latter contain a considerable 

 quantity of some sulphur-containing substance from which conglutin can be sepa- 

 rated by fractional precipitation out of dilute salt solutions. This explains why 

 Ritthausen's conglutin from the yellow lupine contained twice as much sulphur as 

 that from the blue lupine. 



"When purified no difference in properties and reactions can be detected between 

 preparations from the 2 seeds. 



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