THE OCCURRENCE OF β-ALANINE AND β-AMINOISOBUTYRIC ACID IN FLATWORMS

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A survey of 13 species of free-living and symbiotic flatworms for [beta]-alanine and [beta]-aminoisobutyric acid was carried out. These [beta]-amino acids were chromatographically isolated and characterized from the following species: Turbellaria -Bdelloura Candida; Trematoda - Fascioloides magna, Macraspis cristata and Entobdella bumpusi Cestoda - Hymenolepis diminuta, Calliobothrium verticillatum, Lacistorhynchus tenuis, Phyllobothrium foliatum and Disculiceps pileatum. These 2 [beta]-amino acids could not be detected in the turbellarians, Bipalium kewense, Dugesia tigrina and Stylochus zebra nor the trematode, Fasciola hepatica. It was concluded that [beta]-alanine and [beta]-aminoisobutyric acid occur most commonly as free amino acids in symbiotic species in contact with the tissues of the host.