68 



II. DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF FATS 



mura. 388 It splits phytic acid into inositol and phosphoric acid according 

 to equation (3). 



Phytase 



The Hydrolysis of Phytic Acid 



(3) 



Although the substrate, phytic acid, is widely distributed in plants, this 

 compound assumes added biological importance because of its presence in 

 animal tissues. Rapoport 389 was the first to isolate phytic acid from an 

 animal source, namely the erythrocytes of chicken blood; in this study, it 

 was also shown that in all probability the acid was present in turtle blood. 

 In a later study, Rapoport et aZ. 390 reported that phytic acid occurred in the 

 goose and pigeon. 



The enzyme, phytase, has a Avide distribution in plant materials. 391>S92 

 McCollum and Hart 393 were the first to note the occurrence of this enzyme 

 in the animal kingdom; these workers reported the presence of phytase in 

 the liver and blood of calves. On the other hand, neither Plimmer, 394 

 Martland et al., 3 * b nor Lowe and Steenbock 396 were able to demonstrate this 



388 U. Suzuki and K. Yoshimura, Tokyo Imp. Univ., Coll. Agr. Bull, 1, 495-502 (1907); 

 with M. Takaishi, Ibid., 1, 503-512 (1907). 



389 S. Rapoport, /. Biol. Chem., 135, 403-400 (1940). 



390 S. Rapoport, E. Leva, and G. M. Guest, /. Biol. Chem., 189, 621-632 (1941). 



391 R. J. Anderson, J. Biol. Chem., 20, 493-500 (1915). 



392 L. Adler, Biochem. Z., 70, 1-36 (1915). 



393 E. V. McCollum and E. B. Hart, /. Biol. Chem., 4, 497-500 (1908). 



394 R. H. A. Plimmer, Biochem. J., 7, 43-71 (1913). 



395 M. Martland, F. S. Hansman, and R. Robison, Biochem. J., IS, 1152-1160 (1924). 



396 J. T. Lowe and H. Steenbock, Biochem. J., SO, 1126-1134 (1936). 



