CARBOHYDRATES OF THALLOPHYTA AND BRYOPHYTA 57 



Miither and Tollens (1904) obtained galactose and probably 

 other hexoses . 



The grains in the red algae are in appearance quite similar 

 to those of land plants, showing frequently a hilum and 

 striation. They, however, occur in the cytoplasm outside 

 the plastids, and sometimes independently of the latter. 

 Their appearance and disappearance at various times led 

 Bartholomew (1914) to seek for a diastatic enzyme in these 

 algae, for if this were found to act both upon algal and 

 phanerogamic starch it would go to show a certain simi- 

 larity in the structure of the two. 



PolysipTionia variegata Ag., Dasya elegans Ag., Agardhi- 

 ella tenera (J. Ag.) Schmitz, and Ceramium spp., were ob- 

 tained in quantity, dried at 35 to 40 after treatment with 

 alcohol and acetone, pulverized, and allowed to stand in 

 20 per cent, alcohol. From this solution enzymes were 

 subsequently precipitated with 95 per cent, alcohol, and 

 dried after washing with alcohol and ether. Experiments 

 carried out with careful controls showed that this pre- 

 cipitate contained a diastase capable of digesting maize 

 starch. In the course of this process the grains were found 

 to be corroded, so that in this respect the behaviour of the 

 enzyme is similar to that of a translocation diastase. From 

 the various stages of the reaction, as judged by the iodine 

 and copper reduction tests, it is probable that the diastase 

 of the red algae resembles that of the higher plants in being 

 composed, not of a single enzyme, but of a series of amylases 

 and dextrinases. 



In comparison with the action of approximately equal 

 weights of malt diastase, that derived from the algae was 

 found to be rather a slow- working enzyme. All the evi- \ 

 dence afforded by this research is in favour of the view 

 that the starch of the red algae is very similar to that of the 

 higher plants. 





