STUDIES ON ENZYME ACTION : XIX. THE SUCROLYTIC ACTIONS OF BANANAS.

A number of different methods of treatment of unripe and ripe bananas for the purpose of obtaining and studying sucrolytic and amylolytic enzymes are described. No conclusive evidence of the presence of an amlyase could be obtained in any of the preparations. The sucrase of unripe and ripe bananas was studied more extensively. With ripe bananas, both soluble and insoluble sucrase preparations were obtained. Conditions for converting the soluble into an insoluble form were found. The actions of the sucrase preparations as far as the hydrogen ion concentration for maximum action and the time-action relation are concerned are similar to the behavior of the yeast and the potato sucrase.