68 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



of the Islands. The oil destroyed may be almost 40 per cent of 

 the total oil contained in the copra. The oil expressed from 

 copra upon which this mold has been growing also contains a 

 high percentage of free fatty acid. 



In hanging drops the spores germinate in from four to five 

 hours. In nutrient agar media the mycelium becomes visible 

 in from twelve to fifteen hours and mature spores are produced 

 in about forty-eight hours. The growth from a single spore 

 is slow as compared with one of white mold or black mold, but 

 the early production of spores leads to a rapid multiplication of 

 colonies, and so the mold in a comparatively short time will 

 completely cover the surface of the meat of half a coconut. 



Oil loss caused by Aspergillus flavus (brown mold). — Table 

 IX shows the loss of oil due to brown mold growing upon pieces 

 of copra for one month. The experiment was performed and 

 the oil loss calculated as follows: Pieces of copra with about 8 

 per cent moisture content were weighed, placed in a closed 

 container so the amount of moisture in the air could be kept under 

 control, and were inoculated with spores of brown mold. The 

 total oil content of the copra was determined by the analysis 

 of other pieces taken from the same nut. After the mold had 

 grown for thirty days, the copra was removed and analyzed. The 

 difference between the two analyses gives the loss in oil due to 

 the action of the brown mold. At the completion of the exper- 

 iment the pieces upon which the mold had grown were covered 

 with a dense layer of brown mold from 4 to 7 millimeters thick. 

 When broken open, the meat for about one half to two thirds the 

 thickness of the piece was light in color, dry and fibrous, and 

 in every way the same in appearance as commercial copra dam- 

 aged by this fungus. 

 Table IX. — Oil loss due to the action of Aspergillus flavus (brown mold). 



l 



2 



4. 

 5 





Total oil. 









of copra. 



Original. 



After one 

 month. 



0. 



9- 



<7. 



15.57 



9. 1645 



6. 3465 



13.51 



7.9540 



5.5846 



14.83 



8.8386 



6.8570 



18.13 



10. 8055 



6. 7880 



14.89 



' 8.8744 



5.6010 



13.71 



8. 1969 



5. 1610 



11.69 



. 6.7334 



5.3245 



11.66 



6. 7161 



4. 0076 



2. 9816 

 4.0175 

 3. 2734 



1.4089 

 2.7091 



Per rent. 

 30.7 

 29.8 

 33.7 

 37.2 

 36.8 

 37.0 



0.56 



0.56 



Per cent 

 6.8 

 5.1 

 7.7 

 7.2 

 6.5 

 7.0 



Removed before the end of thirty days. 



