Alcoholic Fermentation: Second Edition, 1914Harden, Arthur
Science
Alcoholic Fermentation: Second Edition, 1914
Harden, Arthur
Fermentation
The general result of these experiments is to show that quantities
of antiseptics which are sufficient to inhibit the characteristic
action of living cells have only a slight effect on the fermentative
activity of yeast-juice. A large excess of the antiseptic in many
cases produces a very decided diminution or total destruction of
the fermenting power, and accompanying this a precipitation of the
constituents of the juice. The decided increase of activity produced
by small quantities of chloral hydrate, and to a less marked extent by
chloroform and a few other substances, is of considerable interest.
It is ascribed by Duchaček to a selective action on the proteoclastic
enzyme, but without satisfactory evidence.
Hydrocyanic acid, even in dilute solution, completely suspends the
fermenting power of the juice, without, however, producing any
permanent change in the fermenting complex, as is shown by the fact
that when the hydrocyanic acid is removed by a current of air, the
juice regains its fermenting power. In this respect hydrocyanic acid
behaves precisely as with many other enzymes and with colloidal
platinum [Bredig, 1901]. Sodium arsenite is a pronounced protoplasmic
poison, which rapidly destroys the power of growth and reproduction
in living cells, and was therefore applied to yeast-juice to
differentiate between protoplasmic and enzymic action. It was,
however, found that the action of this substance was complicated by
some unknown factor and very irregular results were obtained [Buchner,
E. and H., and Hahn, 1903, pp. 193 ff.]. These phenomena appear to be
of the same order as those produced by the addition of arsenates to
yeast-juice [Harden and Young, 1906, 3], and will be discussed along
with the latter (p. 77).
PERMANENT PREPARATIONS CONTAINING ACTIVE ZYMASE.
A considerable number of preparations have been obtained in the dry
state which retain some proportion of the fermenting power of yeast or
yeast-juice.
Starting with yeast-juice, it is possible to arrive at this result
either by evaporation or precipitation. When the juice is very rapidly
evaporated to a syrup at 20° to 25° and then further dried at 35°,
either in the air or in a vacuum and finally exposed over sulphuric
acid in a vacuum desiccator, a dry brittle mass is obtained which is
soluble in water and retains practically the whole of the fermenting
power of the juice. The success of the preparation depends on the
nature of the yeast from which the juice is derived, Berlin yeasts V
and S yielding much less satisfactory results than Munich yeast. The
powder when [p038] thoroughly dry is found to retain its properties
almost unimpaired for at least a year, and can be heated to 85° for
eight hours without undergoing any serious loss of fermenting power
[Buchner and Rapp, 1898, 4; 1901; Buchner, E. and H., and Hahn, 1903,
pp. 132-9].
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