Studies on the Crystalline Style of Molluscs-I

Chemical Constituents of the Style of Mactra Sulcataria R_EEVE (Part 1)

Abstract

The crystalline style of bivalves and some gastropods has been studied by many authors, but the chemical nature of it remained obscure up to the present.
In 1889, B_ARROIS demonstrated for the first time that the style of Cardium is composed of 87% water, 12% organic matter and 1% ash and yields reducing substance on hydrolysis with mineral acids. He suggested also that the organic matter resembles to globulin in solubility, but may be a mucin in its nature.This has been the sole quantitative datum and quoted even to the style of the other species by several authors. Later, the organic matter has been considered to be largely composed of protein and the presence of a globulin¹⁾, a mucin²⁾ and others^{2), 3)} has been reported.
B_ERKELEY assumed the presence of mucoitin-or chondroitin sulfate in the style, confirming the presence of glucuronic acid by furfural formation and hexosamine by E_LSON-M_ORGAN reaction. However, his conclusion contains some contradictions.
This paper deals with the general nature of the style and with the examination of component sugars of the style mucin by paper partition chromatography.