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STUDIES ON THE CHEMICAL NATURE OF THE ANTIFERMENTING PRINCIPLE IN BLACK TIGER SNAKE VENOM
Author(s) -
Chain E.,
Goldsworthy L. J.
Publication year - 1938
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0370-2901
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1938.sp000758
Subject(s) - chemistry , sodium , venom , aqueous solution , acetone , ammonium chloride , active principle , alcohol , chromatography , pepsin , ammonium , enzyme , biochemistry , organic chemistry , traditional medicine , medicine
The anti‐fermenting principle in black tiger snake venom is destroyed by heat to a large extent, and is almost completely destroyed by precipitation with methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and acetone. It does not dialyse through cellophane membranes. Ammonium sulphate and sodium chloride precipitate it partially from aqueous solutions. It is completely destroyed by alkali, but is relatively stable in acid solutions. Exposure to the air in neutral solution for several days does not appreciably affect the activity. Pepsin destroys it rapidly. These properties in our opinion show conclusively that the active principle is a protein. Granting the correctness of this conclusion, the fact that it acts in very great dilutions suggests that the inhibitory effect on the fermenting enzyme complex is itself of enzymatic nature.