A study of enzymes that can break down tobacco-leaf components. 1. Digestive juice of Helix on leaf fibre

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Abstract
Various pretreatments of the fiber modified the action of the polysaccharidases of Helix digestive juice on tobacco-leaf fiber. 90% of the carbohydrate of the fiber was soluble. The nature of the insoluble residue was discussed. Cellulase and polygalacturonase were principally concerned in this digestion. The action of the latter was favored by preliminary decalcification of the fiber. Snail digestive juice had little action on the green "chloroplast" fraction of sap sediment. The merits of disintegrating leaves enzymically were considered, but the fact that release by a specific enzyme did not give unequivocal evidence about the original linkage of a substance was recognized.