(1) The salt-tolerance of soy yeasts acquired by growth in the saline medium with NaCl was easily lost if these yeasts were afterwards once cultured in the ordinary medium without NaCI. Accordingly, in the case of osmophilic soy yeasts salt-tolerance was much dependable upon their cultural environments with or without NaCl. Extreme salt-tolerance could be acquired even when the yeasts were cultured in the medium of NaCl of a relatively low concentration as 5%. Thus it becomes quite apparent that the growth of osmophilic yeasts in the medium of a high concentration of NaCl involves the process of physiological adaptation.
(2) A fall in viability was not observed, contrary to the case of NaCl, when the yeasts cultured in the plain medium were transferred directly to the medium consisting of a high concentration of sugars corresponding to the osmotic pressure of 18% NaCl (135 atm.). The limiting osmotic pressure for their growtl was higher in sugars (220_??_260 atm.) than it NaC1 (150_??_165 atm.).
In these respects, the characteristic of the salt-tolerance of osmophilic soy yeasts differs from that of their sugar-tolerance and it is clear that some other limiting factors beside the osmotic pressure itself, will have effec on their salt-tolerance.
(3) The viability of the yeast cells wher transferred from the plain medium to tht various salt media generally fell. Judgin from the relations between the growth con stant and various concentrations of salts it the medium, the order of toxicity of the salt: for the growth of Zygosaccharomyces major, was estimated as follows:
K⁺<Na⁺ <Mg⁺⁺<Ca⁺⁺<Li⁺,
Cl^-<S0₄^--_??_NO₃^-

View full abstract

The author has conducted studies on the nutritional requirement of yeasts in environ-ments of both an ordinary and a high concentration of sodium chloride. During the course of these experiments, it was found that the pH range for the growth of the tested yeasts in the NaCl-free medium was in a very wide range (pH 3.0_??_7.0), while that in the NaCl 18% medium was limited in the range of pH 4.0_??_5.0. In addition to the results described in the previous paper, ¹⁾ the difference between the salt-tolerance and sugar-tolerance of the osmophilic yeasts was also shown in respect of this pH dependence.

View full abstract

Most of the salt-tolerant yeasts isolated from soy-sauce and miso-paste belonged to Sac-charomyces rouxii Boutroux. Some of them produced luxuriant pellicles on the medium containing sodium chloride, though pellicles were not formed on the medium without salts. These strains were separated from the species, in a variety, Saccharomyces rouxii Boutroux var. halomembranis nov. var. A few strains were identified as Saccharomyces acidifaciens (Nickerson) Lodder et Kreger-van Rij. Still further, two new species, Torulopsis halophilus nov. sp. and Torulopsis nodaensis nov. sp. were also described. These two species showed high salt-tolerance, especially the former was facultative halophile. Both species were able to assimilate nitrate but not to form pellicles, and differed from each other in the fermentation and assimilation of sugars.

View full abstract

Two triterpenoid alcohols, i.e., α-and β-amyrin have been isolated from the unsaponifiable fraction of the ethereal extract of Ilex latifolia Thunberg (Aquifoliaceae). The ratio of the amyrin contents, i.e., α-amyrin to β-amyrin was about 4:1. Stearic acid has also been iso-lated from the fatty-acid fraction of the hydrolysates.

View full abstract

Three triterpenoid alcohols, i.e., ilexol, α- and β-amyrin have now been isolated from the unsaponifiable fraction of the ethereal extract of the bark of Ilex crenata Thunberg (Family: Aqufoliaceae). Stearic acid has also been isolated from the fatty-fraction of the hydrolysates.
In view of phylogenetic and taxonomic standpoigts, the occurrence in various sorts of bird-lime of triterpenoids and β-sitosterol discussed'in this paper.

View full abstract

Crude emulsin of apricot (Prunas armenica) kernel was prepared by the method of tannin-fractionation. It was then purified by a fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation. The purified enzyme was further fractioned by adsorbing the enzyme on a CM-cellulose column and eluting it with the diluted Mcllvaine's buffer solution. By this chromatography, six peaks of activities of β-glucosidase and β-xylosidase were developed. From one component of these peaks, petal-like crystals were obtained. The fractions thus obtained by chromato-graphic fractionation and crystallization were found differ with regard to the ratio of the β-glucosidase activity to the β-xylosidase one.

View full abstract

An assay method for the quantitative determination of niacinamide found in natural materials based on its essential nature for Lactobacillus fruclosus, a new species of lactic acid bacteria, is presented. The values obtained here are reproducible within ±6%. Recoveries of niacinamide added to the test materials could be made within ±6%.

View full abstract

The basic fraction contained in the essential oil of the Japanese Flue Cured Tobacco Leaf (before redrying) was investigated and 2, 3'-dipyridyl was isolated and identified. While, on the other hand, the basic fraction of the essential oil of the aged Japanese Burley Tobacco Leaf was also investigated and nicotine was found to be the predominant constituent of that fraction. At the same time, a small amount of 2, 3'-dipyridyl and myosmine was also iso-lated and identified.

View full abstract

The caustic alkali soluble-fraction contained in the essential oil of Japanese Burley tobacco leaf (JBTL) was investigated. Guaiacol, phenol, eugenol, p-allylpyrocatechol and m-cresol were isolated and identified. The total amount of phenolic compounds was strikingly larger, amounting to more than twenty times as much as that of the Japanese Flue Cured tobacco leaf (JFCTL). Guaiacol, the medium constituent in the essential oil of JFCTL, was found to be the predominant constituent exsisting in that of JBTL. Besides these phenols, small amounts of benzaldehyde, 5-methylfurfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (as carbonyls); as well as other higher fatty acids were isolated from this fraction.

View full abstract

Purification of yeast invertase was attempted by means of chromatography using Duolite C-10, a sulfonic acid cation exchange resin, and some properties of the enzyme obtained thereby were investigated. The results obtained are as follows:
1. By this method a yeast invertase preparate can be purified to an extremely advanced state, especially in its polysaccharide content.
2. As a result of purification by the method, the pH-stability range of the enzyme migrates slightly towards the alkaline side. But, there occurs almost no change in the heat-stability of the enzyme.
3. Almost no change in transglycosylation activity of the enzyme is exhibited.
4. In ultraviolet absorption spectra, the absorption maximum of the enzyme shifts from about 270 mμ to 278 mμ, greatly increasing enzyme activity per unit of the extinction coefficient.
5. However, the purified enzyme was found to contain still two or more components, electrophoretically.

View full abstract

From electrophoretic analysis, it is clarified that the pattern of the protein components in the sound part adjacent to the infected of sweet potato attacked with C. fimbriata is different from that of sound sweet potato.
Acknowledgment We wish to express our thanks to Mr. T. Asahi for his helpful discussion of the problem.

View full abstract