(ICELAND MOSS). 189 



minute and sugar was abundantly formed, thus showing that there was 

 nothing present inhibitory to the action of the enzyme. The other por- 

 tion of the original fluid was unchanged even after several hours. 

 II. A very active diastase preparation likewise failed to transform the 

 lichenin to reducing sugar during an hour's action at 38-40 C. 



III. To a 1 per cent lichenin paste was added an amylolytically active 



pancreatic extract (alcoholic). No sugar was formed, while the un- 

 impaired activity of the enzyme was demonstrated as in Experiment I. 



IV. The ash from 1 gram of lichenin was added to a small quantity of 



starch paste. There was no inhibition of the subsequent action of 

 saliva. 



V. A 1 per cent lichenin paste was treated with saliva for an hour at 

 38 C. No sugar was formed. The solution was then precipitated with 

 alcohol and the precipitate redissolved in water. The action of saliva 

 was again tried, with the usual negative result. These operations were 

 repeated four times with similar effects. 



From experiments like the above it must be concluded that 

 the ordinary amylolytic enzymes have no noticeable action on 

 lichenin. Berg * is reported to have obtained similar results 

 with saliva, malt diastase, pancreatic extract, and gastric juice. 

 Since it has been shown that cane-sugar is readily inverted in 

 the stomach by the gastric juice f and experiments in this 

 laboratory have shown that inulin likewise resistant to 

 enzymes is partly transformed to reducing sugar by the 

 action of dilute HC1 (0.2-0.4 per cent), the following experi- 

 ment was tried : 



A 1 per cent lichenin paste was treated with an equal volume of 0.4 

 per cent HC1 and kept at 38 C. for twelve hours. The test for sugar was 

 negative. The mixture was carefully neutralized and treated with amylolytic 

 pancreatic extract. No sugar was formed. Acid of 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 per cent 

 strength also gave negative results. Glycogen is likewise resistant to the 

 action of these acids at 38 C. 



Feeding experiments. In view of the behavior of lichenin 

 already recorded, it seemed desirable to ascertain whether this 

 carbohydrate would give rise to a formation of glycogen in 

 the liver, as has been found by Miura J to occur after inulin 

 feeding. Miura's experiments were followed as a type and 

 protocols are given below : 



* Berg, Abstract, in Jahresbericht der Chemie, 1873, p. 848. 

 t Ferris and Lusk, Amer. Journ. Physiol., 1898, i, p. 277. 

 % Miura, K., Zeitschr. fur Biologie, 1895, xxxii, p. 255. 



