HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Halverson, A. W. Articles by Hart, E. B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Halverson, A. W. Articles by Hart, E. B.

The Stabilization of Carotene in Dehydrated Legumes (Alfalfa) and Cereal Grasses^1,2

Department of Biochemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin, Madison

ABSTRACT

1. Destruction of the lipoxidase by autoclaving for 1 hour at 15 lbs. pressure did not preserve the carotene content of dehydrated alfalfa or cereal grasses exposed to air at room temperature.
   
2. The addition of 5 to 10 per cent of water to these dehydrated materials and then lightly packing them in receptacles sealed with flexo wax or Durex wax preserved the carotene completely for 3 months, when held at room temperature (22–25° C). The total water content for the oats was 15–20 percent and for the alfalfa 12–17 percent.
   
3. The process of preservation appears to be a restoration of more rapid respiratory enzyme action with utilization of the oxygen and formation of carbon dioxide. There was no indication that bacterial action directly was responsible for the changes that occurred. Temperature changes during the process of respiration were negligible in the masses of material used.
   
4. It is evident that receptacles with minimum or no air and CO₂ effusion rates are necessary for success in the preservation of the carotene by the method outlined. Oxygen must be excluded or at least held at a low concentration. This phase of the problem is under further study.
   

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station.

² This work supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation