The enzymic hydrolysis of starches and glycogen

Abstract

The course of hydrolysis of glycogen was also followed, using a perfused rat liver preparation and in addition the behaviour of the pig preparation in the presence of glycerol was studied. The maltase activity of each liver preparation, and of the serum was determined and also the diastase activity of human and rat' blood. In the case of the pig's liver preparation only, was there quantitative conversion to glucose and this was inhibited by the presence of glyerol. Maltose was the sole end product with the cat, rabbit and perfused rat liver preparations. The unperfused rat liver preparations and the human liver preparations produced maltose alone in the early stages of hydrolysis, but this was gradually converted into glucose as digestion proceeded. That the production of glucose by rat liver preparations could be due to the maltase content of the blood has been provided, since no glucose was produced by the perfused rat liver preparations. The normal autolysis products of excised livers were also investigated. In no case was glucose the sole product, both maltose and glucose being produced. This is not in accord with the usually accepted view.