phytase and his results confirm in the main those mentioned above. 

 This author found that heating the dry bran to temperatures much above 

 boiling water apparently did not destroy the enzyme. 



It is evident that certain plant materials contain an enzyme, phytase, 

 which under proper conditions of moisture, temperature and acidity 

 rapidly hydrolyzes inosite phosphoric acid into inorganic phosphoric 

 acid and inosite. This hydrolysis occurs in stages with the intermediate 

 formation of certain lower phosphoric acid esters of inosite (Anderson 

 1915 (2) ). These lower esters must consist of inosite penta-, tetra-, 

 tri-, di- and monophosphoric acids. Since there is a rapid formation of 

 inorganic phosphoric acid when certain plant material is digested in 

 water or dilute acids, it is self-evident that it is necessary to choose such 

 solvents as will inhibit the activity of the phytase while the inosite phos- 

 phoric acid is extracted from the plant substance. In the case of wheat 

 bran 1.0 per cent, hydochloric acid may be safely used for this purpose. 

 It is likely that the same strength acid would also destroy or inhibit the 

 activity of the phytase during the extraction of the organic phosphorus 

 compound from other seeds or plant material containing this enzyme. 



METHODS FOR ISOLATING AND PURIFYING INOSITE 

 HEXAPHOSPHORIC ACID AS BARIUM SALT 



The barium salt of inosite hexaphosphoric acid has been isolated 

 from cottonseed meal by the following method : 



The cottonseed meal, 25 pounds, was digested over night in 0.2 per 

 cent, hydrochloric acid in porcelain percolators covered on the inside 

 with a double layer of cheesecloth. It was then percolated using 0.2 

 per cent, hydrochloric acid until about 20 liters of extract were obtained. 

 The extract was of a dirty, dark color and contained some suspended 

 particles from which it was freed as much as possible by centrifugalizing 

 the solution. A concentrated solution of 300 grams of barium chloride 

 was then added and the precipitate allowed to settle. The precipitate 

 was centrifugalized and finally brought upon a Buchner funnel and freed 

 as far as possible from the mother-liquor. It was then digested in sev- 

 eral liters of about 5 per cent, hydrochloric acid until no further solution 

 took place. The insoluble residue was removed by centrifugalizing and 

 the still very dirty colored solution precipitated by adding barium hydrox- 

 ide until the free acid was neutralized. The barium hydroxide was 

 added slowly, with constant shaking, when the precipitate separated in 

 crystalline form. It was then filtered and washed thoroughly in water 

 and again dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid, filtered and reprecipitated 

 with barium hydroxide. These operations were repeated three times. 

 The hydrochloric acid solution was then precipitated by gradually adding 

 an equal volume of alcohol when the substance again separated in crystal- 

 line form consisting of globular masses of microscopic needles. It was 



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