42 THE SIMPLER NATURAL BASES 



Physiological Properties and Importance of Betaine. 



The question as to whether betaine can be utilised by the animal 

 organism as a source of nitrogen is of some interest on account of the 

 increasing use of molasses as a cattle food. In the dog after intra- 

 venous injection nearly the whole of the betaine is rapidly excreted 

 in the urine, but when given by the mouth only about one quarter is 

 so excreted (Andrlik, Velich and Stanek [1902-3], Voltz [1907]). 

 Ruminants are more able to decompose betaine ; a cow accustomed 

 to molasses excreted no betaine in its urine, and a sheep only during 

 the first few days of feeding on molasses. Nevertheless, according to 

 Voltz, the whole of the betaine nitrogen is excreted in sheep even 

 when there is a deficiency of nitrogen in the food, and the organism 

 only retains the non-nitrogenous part of the betaine. 



Although betaine is therefore not a food, it appears to be quite 

 harmless. Andrlik, Velich and Stanek for instance gave a rat intra- 

 venously betaine representing 0^24 per cent, of its body weight without 

 any appreciable effect. 



Riesser [1913 ; Ch. V, creatine] injected betaine into rabbits and 

 thereby increased their muscular creatine content by 6 - 3-i i'3 per cent. 

 He thinks that betaine may condense with an equimolecular proportion 

 of urea to form creatine and methyl alcohol. When betaine chloride 

 is melted with an excess of urea, methyl alcohol is given off. See 

 also pp. 77-78. 



Waller and Sowton [1903 ; Ch. IV, choline] have described a toxic 

 action of betaine in the excised frog's heart and on isolated nerves, and 

 Waller and Plimmer [1903] on intravenous injection. According to 

 Velich [1904-5] the effects observed were due to hydrochloric acid, 

 owing to insufficient neutralisation of the betaine chloride injected. 

 Further experiments (unpublished) by Waller and Plimmer showed 

 that the injection of the betaine produced a slight lowering of the 

 blood pressure, which allowed some of the magnesium sulphate solution, 

 contained in the cannulae, to enter the circulation and exert a toxic 

 action. A slight effect on the frog's heart has also been noted by 

 Kohlrausch [1909, 1911]. 



With regard to the physiological importance of betaine in plants, 

 Stanek [1911, I] has recently attempted to prove that the base is not 

 a waste product. He has shown that more betaine is present in the 

 leaves than in the seeds from which the plant has been grown ; the 

 sugar beet may contain as much as I - 2 per cent, of its dry weight as 

 betaine. Schulze and Trier [191 2, I] have similarly found that betaine 



