Amylase and protease action of some pancreas preparations

Abstract

It was shown that the purified preparations of pancreatic amylase always exhibit a marked proteolytic activity whether tested by determination of total nitrogen of digestion products, by determination of amino nitrogen, by the Van Slyke method, by determination of acidity of digestion, or by the increase of electrical conduction.

While fractional precipitation by alcohol yields a first precipitate of increased proteolytic activity, the other (more soluble) fraction shows no increase in amylolytic power over the usual purified amylase preparation, and only a slight decrease of proteolytic power. The problem of the relationship of the amylolytic and proteolytic activities of these preparations was discussed.

The investigation was carried out with the aid of a grant from the Carnegie Institution of Washington.