Contents ix 



HAP. PAGE 



spermine. Spermidine. Oxidation of spermine and spermidine 

 by diamine oxidase. State of spermine in semen. 



Choline. The Florence reaction in semen. Enzymic libera- 

 tion of choline from precursors in semen. Phosphorylcholine 

 and glycerylphosphorylcholine. Physiological function of free 

 and bound choUne. Choline esterase. 



Ergothioneine. Isolation of ergothioneine from the boar 

 seminal vesicle secretion. The function of seminal ergothio- 

 neine and its behaviour towards sulphydryl-binding sub- 

 stances. Biogenesis of ergothioneine. 



Creatine and creatinine. Occurrence in mammalian semen 

 and in the sperm and gonads of invertebrates. Phosphocreatine 

 and phosphoarginine. 



Adrenaline and noradrenaline. Occurrence in semen and 

 accessory organs. Enzymic oxidation. Pharmacodynamic 

 properties. 



IX CITRIC ACID AND INOSITOL 183 



Citric acid. Occurrence and distribution. Influence of male 



sex hormone. Citric acid in the female prostate. Metabolism 



and role of seminal citric acid. 

 Inositol. Occurrence and distribution, m^^olnositol as a 



major constituent of the seminal vesicle secretion in the boar. 



Physiological function. Relation to other seminal constituents. 



CONCLUDING REMARKS 193 



REFERENCES 195 



INDEX 223 



