EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XXX. Abstract Number. No. G. 



RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



An investigation of phytin, R. H. A. Plimmer and H. J. Page {Biochem. 

 Jour., 7 {1913), No. 2, pp. 157-174)- — Data are given regarding the determina- 

 tion and amounts of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, carbon, and hydrogen in 

 commercial phytin and phytin obtained from wheat bran. 



It is shown that tlie inorganic phosphates in phytin can be easily determined 

 by precipitation with a solution of ammonium molybdate in seminormal nitric 

 acid at room temperature. The amount of calcium present can be estimated 

 by precipitation as calcium oxalate, but it is much more easily ascertained by 

 precipitation as calcium sulphate. Magnesium can be determined as magnesium 

 pyrophosphate. Much difficulty was experienced in the removal of the calcium 

 from phytin in the preparation of phytic acid. This fact has already been 

 noted by other authors. Inositol was not obtained quantitatively as a result of 

 hydrolyzing phytic acid wuth an acid. The authors, like Levene, are inclined 

 to believe that another organic constituent is present in phytin. The work on 

 the production of inositol by the hydrolysis of phytic acid is to be continued. 

 A concise review of work previously published on this topic is included. 



The constitution of the luteins, C. Sebono (Arch. Farmacol. Sper. e Sci. Aff., 

 l.'t {1912), No. 11, pp. 509-511), — A criticism of the methods employed and the 

 results obtained by other workers in a study of the lutein of hen's egg yolk 

 (E. S. R., 27, p. 611). It defends previous results obtained by the author (E. 

 S. R., 26, p. 503), which disagree with those criticized. 



Comparison of methods for the preparation and determination of choles- 

 terol, J. S. Hepburn {Abs. in Biochem. Bui., 2 {1913), No. 7, pp. 467, 468).— 

 These studies, which were made with material obtained from brain tissue and 

 gall stones, resulted in showing that the iodin reagent used in fat analysis can 

 not be used for the volumetric determination of cholesterol. The methods com- 

 pared were those of Hiibl, Ilanus, and Wijs. The lowest results were given 

 by the Hiibl method. "There was a marked tendency, especially with the 

 Hanus and Wijs methods, for the iodin number to become higher the greater 

 the excess of the iodin reagent. Plowever, the iodin numbers were not simple 

 multiples of 65.7, hence the presence of a .second double bond in cholesterol is 

 doubtful." 



In the quantitative determination of cholesterol as free alcohol it was found 

 that the modifications of Ritter's method were unsatisfactory. " When carbon 

 dioxid was used to neutralize the excess of sodium ethylate, divergent results 



501 



