510 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



Twelve roots out of 25 showed a complete absence of reducing sugars, the 

 remaining ones having only traces present. Total sugars were very abundant 

 (from 26.4 to 50.8 per cent). The pentosan content for 16 samples ranged 

 from 7.32 to 10.68 per cent of the dry substance. Galactans, which were de- 

 termined in 4 individual samples and 1 composite sample, averaged 1.04 per 

 cent. The diastatic method did not yield any reducing sugar, and only when 

 the filtrates therefrom were treated with hydrochloric acid was there an aver- 

 age of 8.6 per cent of reducing sugar obtained, calculated as glucose. As the 

 same 6 samples averaged 8.67 per cent of pentosans, calculated from furfural- 

 phloroglucid, it is not probable that hydrolyzable carbohydrates are present 

 which are accounted for by the analytical methods. 



The analyses of the 16 roots in this connection showed a composition of 

 sugars calculated as invert sugar of 41.43 per cent, pentosans S.78 per cent, and 

 galactans 1.04 per cent. The carbohydrates which formed over 40 per cent of 

 the dry matter are probably fructose and glucose, the former being in gi-eat 

 excess. 



Enzymic condensation of sugars, E. Pantanelli and G. Faure {Atti B. 

 Accad. Lincei, Rend. CI. Hci. Fis., Mat. c Nat., 5. sen, 19 (1910), I, No. 7, pp. 

 S89-394; abs. in Jour. Chem. Soc. [London^, 9S {1910), No. 572, I, pp. .'t50, 

 451). — If Aspergillus orysw is grown on a liquid or solid medium containing 

 starch, the amylolytic activity of the mold increases, even after the formation 

 of spores. The maximum is reached after from 30 to 40 days at 25° C. An 

 enzym is present which is capable of condensing dextrose or invert sugar, but 

 which only appears after growing for from 35 to 40 days and where a decline 

 of the starch digesting capacity begins to take place. The euzyms gradually 

 increase to the eighth month, and then begin to disappear. Amylase, maltase, 

 and invertase were sparingly present in cultures 1 year old. Maltose in neutral 

 solutions is not condensed by the aiycelium or by nqneous or glycerol extracts of 

 A. oryzw, but if a little alkali is present condensation occurs in a sirup which 

 contains as little as from 8 to 10 per cent and as much as from 68 to 70 per 

 cent of maltose. 



In regard to the constitution of vicianose; diastatic hydrolysis, G. Ber- 

 TRAND and G. Weisweiller (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 151 (1910), No. 4, 

 pp. 325-327). — The authors show that the hydrolysis of vicianose proceeds 

 according to the following equation : CnH2oOio+H20=C6Hi206+C5Hio05. Ac- 

 cording to this, vicianose must be composed of a hexose and a pentose and is 

 therefore a disaccharid. 



The filtration of rennet and pepsin, C. Funk and A. Niemann (Ztschr. 

 Physiol. Chem., 68 (1910), No. 3-4, pp. 263-272) .^The tests show that a solu- 

 tion of rennet neutral to phenolphthalein can be filtered through a Chamberland 

 filter without destroying its activity, while pepsin on the other hand and under 

 the same conditions becomes inert. The authors point out that this difference 

 is only apparent, since if the rennet solution were as acid as the pepsin solu- 

 tion the same amounts of alkali would have to be added to each, and this 

 would then result in an inhibition of activity in the rennet. 



Some further tests showed that the filtrate from pepsin which was treated with 

 a 1 per cent solution of ammonium sulphate became inactive, while rennet did 

 not. This was also shown to be only an apparent difference, due to the amount 

 of ammonium sulphate added being always dependent upon the amount of 

 ferment present. 



The inactivation of rennet by shaking, Signe and Sigval Schmidt-Nielsen 

 (Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 6S (1910), No. 5-6, pp. 317-343).— As a continuation 

 of previous work (E. S. R., 22, p. 302), rennet extracts which were partly inac- 



