On the Diastase of Koji. 



331 



water from koji. Referring always to the material dried at 100° C, 

 the total albuminoids in koji amount to 9*84 per cent., whilst 8 '34 per 

 cent, was found in solution. In the case of rice, the amount of 

 albuminoids dissolved by water is very small; in one specimen of 

 cleaned rice examined, it was 1*38 per cent., the total albuminoids 

 amounting to 6'47 per cent. It is evident, therefore, that one change 

 effected by the growth of the fungus is to increase the proportion of 

 soluble nitrogen. 



If the total amount of albuminoids in koji be compared with the 

 amount in rice, it will be seen that it is greater in the former than in 

 the latter, evidence of the removal of the carbohydrates, alluded to in 

 Section I. 



The broken grains which result from the cleaning of the common 

 rice are also converted into koji. As the bran is mixed with the 

 broken grains, the whole contains a larger proportion of albuminoids 

 than the original rice. The following analyses were made of the 

 broken grains, and of the koji formed from them. In both cases the 

 results are given upon the material dried at 100° C. 



Table XIX. — Composition of Koji prepared from Broken Grains. 





Soluble solid 

 matter. 



Dextrose. 



Soluble 

 albuminoids. 



Insoluble 

 albuminoids. 



Per cent. 

 5 -04 

 25 -90 



Per cent. 

 12-80 



Per cent. 

 1 -47 

 7 -08 



Per cent. 

 7 33 



The amount of solid matter dissolved from the koji is just about 

 five times as much as that dissolved from the rice, and the soluble 

 albuminoids have increased in nearly the same proportion. 



Beyond the recognition of this alteration in the solubility of the 

 albuminoids, and the related increase in the amount of solid matter 

 dissolved, I have been able to come to no definite conclusion. I hope, 

 however, to have the opportunity of examining more. in detail the 

 nature of the individual albuminoids present in koji, but thus far, 

 that is a part of the problem I have not touched. It is, indeed, 

 generally believed, that the converting effect of diastase is owing to 

 the existence of certain albuminoids in solution, and the results 

 obtained in this research go to show that the active properties of koji 

 are accompanied by the presence of soluble albuminoids, but to go 

 beyond this, and to show how, by the growth of the fungus, this 

 change is effected, is a problem which, however interesting, lies 

 beyond my power. 



Having drawn attention to the fact that a particular fungus has 



VOL. XXXII. 2 A 



