44 



TRANSACTIONS OF WAGNER 



STUDIES IN CARBOHYDRATES 



In Table i the very slight differences in factors are noticeable. The ash 

 differences are negligible ; the amounts of salt and fat seem to depend entirely 

 on the mood of the bread-maker; the protein differences are slight, as might be 

 expected in bread made from the same kind of flour. The factors on which 

 the value of the bread depend are the soluble and insoluble carbohydrates, 

 and here again the difference between the breads is so small as to be no cause 

 for saying one make of bread is superior to another. If it was possible to dis- 

 tinguish, Jones' bread would rank first, and Sharpless second, on the soluble 

 carbohydrate basis, but on the calorific value Sharpless' bread is the lowest of 

 the five. The same remark may be made about the crusts and crackers, the 

 percentages of soluble carbohydrates are larger on account of the greater heat 

 applied in baking, the calorific values are greater because of the smaller 

 amount of water, and in the crackers the larger amount of fat. If taste was 

 not one of the prime factors in digestion, it would be advisable, for fuel 

 value, to eat pretzels rather than bread. It is not unlikely that different 

 samples of the same makes would show a reversal of the apparent 

 differences. 



DIGESTION EXPERIMENT. In this experiment the interior of the loaf was 

 used. One gram to 25 c.c. of taka-diastase solution. The pastes after digestion 

 were tested with Fehling's solution and the following results were obtained. 

 (Table 10.) 



TABLE io. DIGESTIBILITY OF CARBOHYDRATES OF BREAD. 



In applying the results of this experiment it must be remembered that the 

 digestibility of the carbohydrate only is considered. It would be expected 

 that the percentage of carbohydrates digested would differ as the amount of 

 soluble starch. However, the object was not to obtain exact figures, but com- 

 parative results. The method used was not applicable otherwise, for o.i c.c. 

 of the sugar solution (i gm. of bread in 250 c.c.) makes an imperceptible dif- 

 ference in the copper tint, but permits a range of 4 per cent.an the result. 



