AGRICULTURAL, CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 511 



tivated by forcible shaking were found to regain the greater part of their 

 activity when allowed to stand in the same vessel for a short time. On the 

 other hand, if the extract was at once transferred to another container no 

 restoration took place. The authors explain this phenomena by stating that 

 the shaking process brings about a concentration of the enzym on the foam 

 formed by shaking and on the other surfaces. This was proved experimentally. 

 They regard the nonreversible part of the inactivated enzym as adsorbed. 



Contribution to our knowledg'e of amylase, A. Wohl and E. Glimm (Bio- 

 chem. Ztschr., 27 {1910), No. 5-6, j)p. 349-375).— This work deals with the 

 causes of the incomplete hydrolysis of starch by amylase. The effect of dif- 

 ferent concentrations of maltose, saccharose, dextrose, levulose, galactose, man- 

 nose, dextrin, intermediary dextrins, and heat was studied. Dextrose was 

 found to be the strongest inhibitor and mannose the weakest. Saccharose and 

 levulose had no effect on the hydrolytic process. 



The nuclease of the mammary gland, A. Borrino (Arch. FisioL, 8 {1909), 

 No. 1, pp. 73-80; ahs. in Zenthl. Biochem. u. Biophys., 10 {1910), No. 

 12-13, p. 603). — Nuclease is only present in the mammary gland during lacta- 

 tion. Its presence indicates an active nuclein metabolism and is against 

 Basch's theory « that casein is formed from nucleic acid and serum albumin. 

 Possibly the phosphorus which is split oft' by nuclease plays a part in the 

 formation of casein. See also a previous note (E. S. R., 22, p. 778). 



Some further investigations in regard to the use of silk peptone for de- 

 tecting peptolytic ferments, E. Abderhalden and E. Steinbeck {Ztschr. 

 Physiol. Chan., 68 {1910), No. 3-4, pp. 312-316).— Attev describing the process 

 for preparing silk peptone and the technique for detecting peptolytic ferments 

 (E. S. R., 23, p. 708), the authors describe their results with pathological tissues 

 and the stage at which peptolysis occurs during the development of the embryo. 



Biochemical and toxicological studies upon a number of species of Peni- 

 cillium, C. L. Alsberg and O. F. Blacic {Abs. in Science, n. scr., 32 {1910), 

 No. 823, pp. 478', 479). — The results of this preliminary report show that there 

 is much lack of uniformity in the toxic products produced by the mold of the 

 genus Penicillium, and that only one of the specimens examined gave the 

 characteristic ferric chlorid reaction for phenol. 



Behavior of molds toward the stereoisomers of unsaturated dibasic acids, 

 A. W. Dox {Jour. Biol. Chem., 8 {1910), No. 3, pp. 265-267 ; abs. in Chem. Abs., 

 5 {1911), No. 1, pp. 100, 101). — Five species of Penicillium and Aspergillus were 

 studied in regard to the utilization of the carbon from funiaric, valeric, mesa- 

 conic, itaconic, and citraconic acids. Fumaric acid was used by all the species, 

 valeric acid by a few, itaconic acid with a little more difBculty, and mesaconic 

 and citraconic not at all. 



Oxidation by mold fungi, A. Meier {Uber Oxyclation durch Schimmelpilse. 

 Diss., Tech. Hochschule Karlsruhe, 1909, pp. 94, fig. 1). — This work, which 

 was done chiefly with Penicillium glaucum, shows that the cleavage of race- 

 mates by mold fungi is also dependent upon oxidation. 



On the oxidation of pyrogallol by hydrogen peroxid in the presence of 

 plant extracts, H. H. Bunzel {Abs. in Science, n. ser., 32 {1910), No. 823, p. 

 475). — "Evidence is given that the oxidation of pyrogallol to purpurogallin by 

 hydrogen peroxid in the presence of plant extracts takes place in two stages. 

 The first is carried on by the hydrogen peroxid, the second by the oxidizing 

 enzym in the plant extract." 



« Jahrb. Kinderheilk., 47 (1898), p. 90. 



