[PnoM THE BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL, Vol. XVI, No. 1, pp. 23—26, 1922] i 



[All Riiilits reserved] 



V. DISTRIBUTION OF ENZYMES IN THE ALI- 

 MENTARY CANAL OF THE CHICKEN. 



By ROBERT HENRY ADERS PLIMMER 

 AND JOHN LEWIS ROSEDALE. 



From the Biochemical Department, Rowett Research Institute for Animal 

 Nutrition, University of Aberdeen and North of Scotland College of Agri- 

 culture. 



{Received December 20th, 1921.) 



The presence of lactase in the intestines of animals and the non-adaptation 

 of the pancreas and intestine to lactase by feeding with lactose was investi- 

 gated by Plimmer [1906]. Lactase was always found to be absent from the 

 intestine of chickens, A diet containing lactose had been used by us [1921] 

 in feeding chickens from birth for a period of over three months. Examination 

 of the birds' excreta showed that reducing sugar was absent therefrom, a 

 fact which indicated that the sugar was assimilated. Assimilation of disac- 

 charides is usually preceded by hydrolysis to monosaccharides, which would 

 imply the presence of lactase in the alimentary canal, either in the intestine 

 by adaptation or in some other part. The intestines of the cockerels in this 

 group of birds were therefore examined, after they were killed, for the presence 

 of lactase : it was not found to be present, and the non-adaptation of this organ 

 was verified. If hydrolysis of lactose previous to assimilation occur, it must 

 take place in some other part of the gut. The crop, pancreas and proventri- 

 culus were tested and lactase in small amount was detected in the crop. The 

 investigation was then extended to the presence of other enzymes, as no 

 information could be found in the literature about their occurrence in the 

 alimentary canal of birds. The enquiry did not extend to the detection of all 

 known enzymes, but was limited to those concerned in the digestion of the 

 common foodstuffs. 



Experimental. 



The methods of preparing the enzyme solutions and detecting the presence 

 of enzymes were in general in accordance with those usually adopted ; in many 

 cases a longer time of action (up to seven or ten days) was allowed, and in the 

 case of the sucroclastic enzymes, proteins etc. were removed before testing 

 for the reducing sugar formed by their action. 



The various parts of the alimentary canal were always taken from chickens 

 killed the same day, or not later than the day previously; on account of the 



