Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1906. 
Studies  in  Plant  Mutation. 
313 
Alkaloids  of  distant  families  retard  the  diastatic  action ;  thus, 
strychnine  and  brucine,  atropine,  digitalin,  quinine,  and  veratrine. 
Note  that  veratrine,  which  aids  with  Brodiaea,  hinders  in  the  other 
cases.  Digitalin  with  Delphinium  in  favoring  the  action  forms  an 
exception.  With  Brodiaea  all  the  alkaloids  appear  to  aid,  an  ex- 
ception to  the  general  rule. 
The  next  table  gives  some  tests  on  the  diastatic  activities  of 
several  scattered  families  under  the  influence  of  alkaloids. 
v 
.2 
nol 
a 
'5 
V 
.9 
ine 
V 
"3 
0 
nemo 
upini 
trych 
rucin 
tropii 
igital 
^orph 
'2 
'3 
< 
< 
►4 
« 
< 
P 
a 
I,eguminosse  : 
185 
100 
333 
133 
66 
66 
66 
66 
100 
33 
250 
466 
Plantaginacese  : 
0 
100 
Onagraceae  : 
Oenothera   
86 
86 
in 
Malvaceae  : 
Sphseralcea  .... 
1000 
1000 
1000 
1000  (control  1000. 
Geraniaceae  : 
77 
100 
44 
77 
44 
Cactacese : 
62 
_. 
25 
75 
Compositse  : 
Chaenactis  .... 
300 
300 
500 
Five 
other 
specir 
tiens  tested, 
but  tests  unsatisfactory. 
Polygonacese  : 
< 
200 
0 
0 
0 
100 
0 
In  the  foregoing  tests  the  difference  in  the  diastatic  activity  with 
the  alkaloids  according  to  the  family  appears  marked,  an  alkaloid 
hindering  in  one  family,  aiding  in  another. 
Lupinine  is  a  principle  of  Lupinus.  Its  favoring  action  in  Legu- 
minosae  appears  marked,  increasing  the  diastatic  activity  three 
and  fourfold. 
Here,  as  in  the  first  series,  families  which  vary  appear  to  be  hin- 
dered in  their  diastase  action  by  the  alkaloids.  Note  Cruciferse, 
Ranunculacese,  Papaveraceae,  while  Brodiaea,  which  is  not  appa- 
rently variable,  is  favored  by  the  alkaloids.  Sphseralcea  is  variable 
but  forms  an  exception  here  in  being  favored  by  the  alkaloids.  The 
