The use of some micro-organisms in sugar analysis

Abstract

Several organisms were examined as possible analytical reagents for sugars and the relationship between sugar removal power and fermentation was discussed. A strain of Proteus vulgaris, which was without removal action on fructose, mannose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, arabinose and xylose, but variable to galactose, was found to be an analytical reagent for glucose. The Proteus could be applied to Folin-Wu blood-filtrates and to urines after treatment with H2SO4 and Lloyd''s reagent and after treatment with HgSO4 and BaCO3 Monilia tropicalis was found to be an active reagent for removal of maltose. A method for the estimation of maltose is given which depends on the use of Saccharomyces marxianus previous to treatment with M. tropicalis. M. krusei removes only glucose, fructose and mannose. A system of carbohydrate analysis for a mixture of glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, sucrose, maltose and lactose is described.