STUDIES ON ASPERGILLI X.: UTILIZATION OF POLYSACCHARIDES

Abstract

The utilization of starch, dextrin, inulin, and glycogen by A. clavatus Desmazieres, A. sclerotiorum Huber, A. indicus Mehrotra and Agnihotri, and A. allahabadii Mehrotra and Agnihotri was studied through circular paper chromatography. These polysaccharides were evidently assimilated through transglycosidation. It was noticed that these fungi, during the process of utilization of these polysaccharides, produced some additional oligosaccharides some of which could not be identified.All four molds showed better growth on starch, dextrin, and glycogen than on glucose (final hydrolytic product of these polysaccharides); however, these organisms showed better growth on fructose than on inulin.