342 SUGAR DESTRUCTION IN THE ECONOMY 



months, with the air excluded, half or more would be trans- 

 formed into inactive lactic acid, the remainder for the most 

 part into polyoxyacids (dioxybutyric acid, etc.), with only 

 small amounts of formic acid, carbonic acid and alcohol 

 appearing along with the latter. According to J. de 

 Meyer 32 glucose breaks up in soda lye in the presence of 

 platinum sponge with formation of lactic acid, formic acid 

 and oxalic acid, without the appearance of alcohol and 

 carbonic acid. However, Jolles 33 saw, when he allowed the 

 alkaline cleavage to proceed in the presence of oxidizing 

 agents, as peroxide of hydrogen and silver oxide, at the body 

 temperature, only formic acid develop in any important 

 quantity. 



That sugar can undergo extensive catabolism from the 

 influence of dilute alkalies even at the temperature of the 

 body cannot be doubted. There is a question, however, 

 whether the degree of alkalinity of the blood and of the 

 animal juices is high enough to permit one to seriously 

 consider whether this mode of break-down can take place 

 physiologically. In view of a result obtained by Michaelis 

 and Eona 34 in a fluid containing the same or somewhat 

 higher amount of hydroxyl ions as the blood, in which prac- 

 tically no sugar catabolism occurred in the course of 

 twenty-four hours at body temperature one might feel dis- 

 posed to deny off-hand any importance to this factor. 



Importance of Catalyzers in the Catalysis of Sugar. As 

 a matter of fact, however, conditions are not as simple as this 

 would presuppose; the presence of catalyzing agents is 

 certainly a matter which may make a complete difference. 

 Thus Walter Lob has proved that in salt-free solutions of 

 sugar of the same degree of alkalinity as the blood, with low 

 concentration of hydroxyl ions (differing very slightly from 



32 J. de Meyer, Rev. M6d. Memoirs Lepine, 1911, 517, cited in Centralbl. f. 

 d. Ges. Biol., 12, No. 2887. 



88 A. Jolles, Biochem. Zeitschr., 29, 152, 1910; Centralbl. f. innere Med., 

 1911, No. 1. 



M L. Michaelis and P. Rona, Biochem. Zeitschr., 23, 364, 1910. 



