14 
RESEARCHES ON THE MANUFACTURE, 
of noticeable quantities of maltose and glucose indicates that 
the ferment produced by the fungus commences to act already 
on the moist steamed grain, but the proportion of these sugars 
is far smaller than that observed in rice koji by Atkinson, 
who found no maltose but only glucose (dextrose) to the very 
high amount of 25.0 resp. 58.1 % of the dry matter. This 
difference between the latter’s and our analyses is most like¬ 
ly due to the mode of extraction. While Atkinson appears 
to have digested the lcoji with cold water for a consider¬ 
able time and to have then determined the sugar in 
the extract, thus allowing the ferment contained in the koji 
to display freely its amylolytic action on the gelatinized 
starch, we destroyed the ferment by the application of sudden 
heat before extraction. Our figures may therefore be justly 
regarded as representing the composition of koji as it actually 
is, whereas Atkinson’s results illustrate the contents of koji 
extracts obtained not by dissolution in water alone, but 
materially altered by the action of the ferment on the soluble 
and insoluble ingredients of koji. 
The alterations accomplished by the fungus during the 
manufacture of koji will be seen from the following table, 
which shows how much of each ingredient of koji is obtained 
from 100 parts of the dry matter of steamed seeded grain and 
its components : 
