364 CHEMICAL ACTIVITY OF ASPERGILLACE^E. 



luteum, P. rubrum, P. italicum, P. glaucum, and Allescheria 

 Gayoni. This enzyme was also isolated from Asp. niger in 1893 

 by BOURQUELOT (III.), who partly in collaboration with 

 HERISSEY (II.) studied its behaviour toward several glucosides : 

 amygdalin, salicin, coniferin, helicin, populin, arbutin and 

 aBsculin ; all of which were split up by the extract from the vege- 

 tative fungus, though negative results were obtained in the case 

 of digitalin, solanin, hesperidin, convallamarin, jalapin, &c. The 

 precipitate thrown down by alcohol from the solution concentrated 

 in vacuo has the same effect. HERISSEY (II.), made a more 

 exact comparison with almond emulsin, from which it differs in 

 several respects, populin and phloridzin, for instance, being split 

 up (into benzoyl, saligenin and phloretia respectively) by the 

 Aspergillus emulsin alone. It, however, could not be separated 

 from the other enzymes of this fungus. According to GERARD 

 (VI.), Penic. glaucum also secretes an enzyme that can be isolated 

 by lixiviating the fungus, acts like emulsin and splits up amyg- 

 dalin and salicin. Asp. glauctis agrees with the two fungi just 

 named in respect of its behaviour to solutions of glucosides. All 

 three of the fungi were tested, in the form of living vegetations, 

 by PURIEWITSCH (V. and VI.). On a solution of helicin the 

 fungus died off under the influence of the resulting salicylic alde- 

 hyde, salicin was decomposed with formation of saligenin, the 

 dextrose being consumed by the fungus at once ; and similar 

 results were obtained with arbutin, coniferin, a9sculin, hesperidin 

 and phloridzin. The fission of amygdalin into dextrose, benzalde- 

 hyde and hydrocyanic acid was observed only in the case of 

 extracts, or after etherising the fungus, the living vegetations 

 producing neither benzaldehyde nor hydrocyanic acid, so that in 

 this case the fission seems to proceed in a different manner. The 

 author believed that decomposition into sugar and amygdalic 

 acid was effected by an enzyme allied to invertase ; but this is 

 certainly incorrect (see below). The secretion of enzyme was 

 suppressed by the addition of larger quantities of sugar, which 

 therefore prevents the fission of the glucosides in a manner 

 analogous to the action of diastase on starch. J. BEHRENS (IX.) 

 found emulsin in Penic. luteum ; and this fungus also splits up 

 quercitrin. According to LABORDE (VI.), the living vegetations 

 of Allescheria Gayoni (Ei^otiopsis Gf.) will split up the glucosides 

 (amygdalin, salicin and coniferin), with formation of sugar. 

 Results differing to some extent from those of Puriewitsch were 

 obtained by BRUNSTEIN (I.) in 1901, who tested Asp. niger, A. 

 or y zee, A. Wentii, A. glaucus and Penic. glaucum in presence of 

 helicin, salicin, arbutin, amygdalin, coniferin, myrosin, saponin 

 and glycyrrhicin, all of which were split up by the living vegeta- 

 tions, except myrosin, which gave doubtful results. Asp. glaucus 

 and Asp. Wentii split up helicin, without formation of salicylic 

 aldehyde, salicylic acid being produced ; Asp. niger, A. oryzce, and 



