( 374 ) 



V. Experiment in air free from CO^. 



1.200 gT. crude enzyme (alcoliolic preparation). 

 Decrease of glucose from 375 mg. to 340 mg. = 35 mg. 

 Increase of potash bulbs by 00^ production 27 mg. 

 Increase of organic acid from 1 c.c. to 3.2 c.c. =: 2.2 c.c. 0.1 N. 



VI. Experiment in hydrogen atmosphere. 

 1.200 gr. crude enzyme (alcoholic preparation). 

 Decrease of glucose from 375 mg. to 343 mg. = 32 mg. 

 Increase of potash bulbs by CO, production 14 mg. 

 Increase of organic acid from 1 c.c. to 3.5 c.c. = 2.5 c.c. O.I N. 



Decomposition of glucose has taken place in all my experiments, 

 in those in the air, as well as in those in a hydrogen atmosphere, 

 carbonic acid and organic acids are always formed, but no alcohol, 

 an enzyme identical with zymase cannot therefore have acted in this 

 case, the more so because in the experiments of Kostytschew and 

 Palladin ^) the production of organic acid never occurred at all. 



In the anaerobiosis of Agaricinae Kostytschew -) also found production 

 of CO, without formation of alcohol ; Palladin and Kostytschew ') 

 pointed out, that in the absence of carbohydrates carbonic acid is 

 similarly formed by old etiolated shoots of Vicia Faba, but without 

 alcohol. 



Indeed in all these experiments, which were for the most part 

 conducted with intact parts, killed by freezing, formation of acids 

 never took place, at least it is never mentioned. Only in the much 

 discussed experiments of Stoklasa c.s. "*) is there any question of the 

 production of acid. In these the press juices of sugar-beet, barley, 

 peas and lupin seedlings w^ere treated with alcohol and the precipitate 

 was used for the experiments. On addition of ghicosc the latter was 

 decomposed and there resulted CO, and organic acids, but also alcohol. 

 The organic acids were chiefly lactic acid, tlien acetic acid and 

 formic acid, whereas it will be shown below, that these acids were 

 absent in my own experiments. 



The above described action of the respiratory enzymes of Sauro- 

 matum seems therefore to be very speciiic and shows much agreement 

 with the action of the press juice of Arum maculatum only ; the 

 considerable formation of acid reminds us of the metabolic processes 



1) Palladin & Kostytschew. Ber. d. d. bot. Ges. 1906. 



2) Kostytschew. Ber. d. d. bot. Ges. 1907. 



3) Palladin & Kostytschew. Ber. d. d. bot. Ges. 1907. 



^) J. Stcklasa, Adolf Ernest, Karl Chocensky. Ber. d. d. hot. Ges. 1907. 



