150 
Ferments  in  Milk  Juices. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March,  1887. 
FERMENTS  IN  MILK  JUICES. 
By  A.  Hansen. 
The  author  has  examined  the  latex  of  different  species  of  plants 
for  the  presence  of  ferments.  He  finds  none  in  the  Euphorbiacese,  in 
Ficus  elastica,  Scorzonera,  Taraxacum,  or  the  juice  of  the  opium  pop- 
py. The  latex  of  Ficus  Carica  on  the  other  hand,  contains  princi- 
ples capable  of  effecting  four  fermentative  changes ;  they  peptonize 
albuminoids  in  the  presence  of  either  alkalis  or  acids,  act  like  diastase 
on  starch,  and  coagulate  the  casein  of  milk.  20 — 100  grams  of  fi- 
brin previously  caused  to  swell  by  immersion  in  hydrochloric  acid  of 
0*2  per  cent,  strength,  are  completely  dissolved  in  10 — 30  minutes 
when  treated  at  40°  with  2 — 3  cc.  of  this  latex.  The  products  of 
this  digestion  are  the  same  as  with  pepsin,  yet  the  two  ferments  are 
not  identical,  since  the  ficus  latex  peptonizes  in  presence  of  alkalis  as 
well  as  acids,  although  more  slowly.  Probably  there  are  two  peptic 
ferments  present,  one  acting  in  acid,  the  other  in  alkaline  solutions. 
By  digestion  with  hydrochloric  acid,  the  latex  entirely  loses  its 
peptonizing  properties  •  digested  with  sodium  carbonate  (which  de- 
stroys the  activity  of  pepsin)  it  retains  them  intact.  If  a  few  drops 
of  the  latex  be  added  to  milk,  which  is  then  raised  to  the  boiling 
temperature,  the  casein  is  at  once  precipitated.  Incipient  ebullition 
therefore,  does  not  destroy  the  curdling  powder  of  this  latex,  although 
prolonged  ebullition  does,  and  even  a  temperature  of  65°  if  continued 
for  tw<>  hours.  The  diastatic  action  of  this  latex  is  demonstrated  by 
the  partial  transformation  of  starch-paste  and  glycogen  into  sugar. 
When  the  latex  is  precipitated  by  alcohol  and  the  precipitate  taken 
up  with  water,  the  action  on  milk  and  on  starch  is  found  to  persist, 
whilst  that  on  fibrin  disappears. 
The  latex  of  Carica  Papaya  peptonizes,  precipitates  casein,  and 
transforms  starch  into  sugar. 
The  author  does  not  consider  that  these  vegetable  ferments  play 
any  role  in  the  nutrition  of  the  plant. — Jour.  Chem.  Soc  ,  1886,  p. 
1059  ;  Botan.  Ztg.,  1886,  p.  137. 
CONVERSION  OF  GLUCOSES  INTO  DEXTRINS. 
By  E.  Grimaux  and  L.  Lefevre. 
Pure  glucose  was  dissolved  in  eight  times  its  weight  of  hydrochloric 
acid  of  sp.  gr.  1*026,  the  solution  distilled  in  a  vacuum  on  the  water- 
bath,  and  the  syrupy  amber-colored  residue  dissolved  in  water  and 
