253 



products of décomposition by the mycélium would hâve complet- 

 ely destroyed or inhibited the action of the diastase. Yet the en- 

 zyme concentration was found to be = 577, i. e. rather considér- 

 able and after about seven months, 72% of the original concen- 

 tration was still found. The dry weight of this 175 day was 

 110m.Gr. i. e. hardly less than the weight on the 40*""— 50*'' 

 days of this séries. There can therefore be no reason to assume, 

 that there were strong processes of décomposition and this explains 

 why such a relatively large amount of diastase was found. 



In the case of the séries on 2% starch, I could only save the 

 liquids of the last four days of observation, viz. of the 29 , 32" , 

 36 and 45 days. As the curve for enzyme concentration shows 

 the rise long before this, I assumed that most of the enzyme was 

 free by this time and I expected that the liquids would loose little 

 of their hydrolytic powers. This expectation was confirmed. 



It is quite clear too what we may expect from the séries on 

 1 — 2.5 — 4 and 5% glucose, viz. the enzyme concentration should 

 be constant in most of the 1% culture solutions. Only those of the 

 days of maximal growth could possibly show a graduai decrease 

 of diastase concentration. The higher the concentration of the 

 glucose was, the more of thèse liquids would not remain constant 

 and the more rapidly they wiU loose their strength. 



Thèse expectations were realised. In the case of the 1% glucose 

 séries (9 — 16; 261) the culture solutions of the 5*'' till the 9*'' 

 days were not constant. After 12 days the following amounts 

 were left: 



in the solution of the 5*'' day 69 % 



6*»» „ 70% 



7»»» .. 50% 



9*»» „ 62.5% 



