AGEICULTUBAL CHEMISTRY AGBOTECHNY. 



411 



Their presence in tlie water extracts of tlie driod and fresh alfalfa stems and 

 leaves, as well as in the alfalfa roots, has been determined qualitatively and 

 in some instances with reference to the approximate amount. The following 

 table sets forth the results obtained in the present investigation, together with 

 those obtained on alfalfa seeds. The presence of the euzym is denoted by + 

 ;iml tlie absence by — . The (s) after the sign denotes in small amount, and the 

 (!) in considerable or large anmunt. 



Enzyms present in alfaljn. 



Kind ofenzjTH. 



Lipase 



Amylase 



Coagulase 



Emulsin 



Invertase 



Peroxidase 



Maltase 



Lactase 



Pectinase 



Protease (peptonizing) 

 Protease (peptolytic) . 



Dried 

 plants. 



+(s) 



+ 0) 

 + 

 + (s) 



+ (1) 

 + 



Frcsli 

 plants. 



+(s) 



+(s) 



+ 



+ 0) 



+(s) 



+ 



+ (1) 



+ 



Fresh 

 roots. 



+ (s) 

 + 

 + (s) 



+ 

 +(1) 



Seeds. 



+ 



" The diastatic power of the water extract of the dried plants was determined 

 and found to be approximately 20. A slight alkalinity favors the action of the 

 protease on casein, whereas an acid solution above that si)ontaneously produced 

 in the extract retards or inhibits this action. No digestion of egg albumin 

 could be detected by the proteases in any part of the plant, but this substance 

 invariably retards the action of the enzym on casein. It was also found that 

 the inhibiting influence of egg albumin on the casein digestion was propor- 

 tional to the time of action and not to the temperature. 



" It 19 hoped that a more detailed investigation of individual members of 

 the alfalfa enzyms can be undertaken in the near future," 



Ferments in the mammary gland and milk, W. Grimmer {Bioehcm. Ztschr., 

 r,3 {1913), No. 6, pp. 429-47S).—The object of this work was to determine 

 whether the enzyms usually found in milk are also present in the lactating 

 mammary glands, and furthermore to establisli whether any difference exists 

 between an active and a nonhictating gland. In the investigations the mam- 

 mary glands of the bovine, sheep, pig, and horse were studied. The glandular 

 extracts, made with solutions of sodium clilorid by autodigestion and tissue 

 paste, were examined for protease, ereptase, monobutyrinase, amylase, salolase, 

 and peroxidase. The glycerol extracts were tested for aldehydase, reductase, 

 and hydrogenase. A portion of the results have already been noted (E. S. R., 

 23. p. 2S5). 



Botli the resting and the active glands contain proteolytic ferments (pro- 

 tease), whicli apparently digest only tlie proteins of the mammary gland and 

 not fibrin, gelatin, or fowl egg albumin. The cleavage products recognized were 

 glycocoll, leucin, and some other substances belonging to the amino acid groups 

 which could not be identified. The proteolytic ferments of the active and rest- 

 ing glands of the various animals differentiated themselves by the fact that the 

 iuitolysate of the active gland contains ferments which yield tryptophan. This 

 finding is considered of importance in explaining some of the factors which 

 relate to the formation of casein, and may be interpreted in the light of Abder- 

 halden's findings. 



The press juices, saline extracts, and autolysates of lactating and nonlactat- 

 ing glands cleave silk peptones and yield tyrosin. The active and inactive 



