72 



ON THE VEGETABLE CHEESE, NATTO. 



were products of the bacterial action. Considering the high 

 temperature of the wanned cellar, the considerable extent of 

 the bacterial decomposition is not very surprising. There can 

 hardly be any doubt that the «a^o-preparation is more easily 

 digestible than the original soya bean, as it is very soft !) 

 and contains more peptone. 



We add finally the determination of the different forms of 

 nitrogen in the soya been and in natto. 



Soya Natto prepared 



bean. from the same 



soya bean. 



Total nitrogen. *> 7,355 % 7,542 % 



Nitrogen of proteids 



(excluding peptone) 6,899 4>°33 



Nitrogen of amides 0,128 1,892 



Nitrogen of peptone 0,328 1,617. 



1) While the water of the air-dry soya bean, amounted to 15,160/0, that oinatto 

 amounted to 59,120/0. 



2) The relative increase of total nitrogen in natto may be chiefly due to the 

 loss of carbon as carbon dioxide during the fermentation. 



