K. Miyake: On the Natvbe of the Sugars fodkd in the Tubers of arkowhead. 33 



The residue was exti-actecl M'itli niothyl alcohol, and the extract was con- 

 centrated to a synip. The synip did not form any crystals even after standing 

 for 7 days. The syrap was then treated with alisohito alcohol to remove such 

 substances, which are solul)le in this alcohol. On this treatment, slightly yellow 

 coloiured powder was obtjiined. It did not give a sweet taste. We determined 

 its specific rotatory ^xiwer, and obtained the following result. 



0.05 gram of this dried ix)wder was dissolved in water and made up into 10 

 cc. and xxilarized in 100 mm. tube. Bi-rotation was not observed. The rotation 

 wa-s 1.5 on the scale toward the right. The specific rotatory power is 



, . J) ^ 1.5x0.346x10 ^ JQ3 _;. o 



^ ' 0.05x1 ^ ' 



The ix)wder was once more treated with methyl and absohite alcohol respec- 

 tively as above mentioned and detenuined its specific rotatory iwwer and found it 

 to be as follows : 



(«)D= 1-1x0.340x10 ^ jpg^o ,^ 20°). 

 ^ ' 0.0867 X 1 ^ 



We then tried to detemiine how much mucic acid is produced from the 

 powder upon oxidation, and the following result was obtained. 



0.06 gram of the powder was dissolved in a small beaker with nitric acid of 

 sp. gl'. 1.15 and oxidized in a boiling water bath in the usual manner. The 

 mucic acid produced was collected on a filter, washed and dried. The weight 

 of the crystals tlius obtained was 0.0036 gram corresponding to &% of the powder. 



According to Creydt'\ the quantity of mucic acid produced from 0.05 and 

 0.075 gram of rafiinose is 0.0024 and 0.0056 gi-am in weight which corres^wnd 

 to 4:S>% and 7.5^^ respectively. 



Consequently, it may be concluded that the powder under examination is 

 probably raftinose. 



6, Smnmary. 



a. The reducing sugars of the aiTowhead tubeis consist of both glucose and fruc- 

 tose. As t(3 whether or not the galactose is present as such or only in 

 coml)ination with other hexoses, we have not suflScient data to decide, and 

 the question remains to be solved in futixre. 



1) Creydt,- I.e. 



