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ELASTIN. 117
cent nitrogen and 0.66 per cent sulphur. Richards and Gies found
0.14 per cent sulphur and 16.87 per cent nitrogen in (last in. The ques-
tion whether elastin is a unit body still remains open.
The quantity of hydroh tic cleavage products are given in the table
on page 125. It is sufficient to here call attention to the fact that no
aspartic acid and only very little glutamic acid have been found. The
hexone bases have been obtained, but only in very small amounts, so
that the basic nitrogen represents only 3.34 per cent of the total nitro-
gen (Richards and Gies). From an elastin proteose, Wechsler l
obtained 1.86 per cent arginine, 0.5 per cent, histidine and 2.48 per cent
lysine.
Indol and skatol have not been found on the putrefaction of elastin,2
but Schwarz, on the contrary, obtained indol, skatol, benzene, and
phenols on fusing aorta-elastin with caustic potash. On heating with
water in closed vessels, on boiling with dilute acids, or by the action of
proteolytic enzymes, the elastin dissolves and splits into two chief prod-
ucts, called by Horbaczewski hemielastin and elastinpeptone. Accord-
ing to Chittenden and Hart, these products correspond to two proteoses
designated by them protoelastose and deuteroelastose. The first is soluble
in cold water and separates out on heating, and its solution is precipi-
tated by mineral acid as well as by acetic acid and potassium ferrocyanide.
The aqueous solution of the other does not become cloudy on heating,
and is not precipitated by the above-mentioned reagents.
Pure elastin when dry is a yellowish-white powder; in the moist
state it appears like yellowish-white threads or membranes. It is insol-
uble in water, alcohol, or ether, and shows a resistance toward the action
of chemical reagents. It is not dissolved by strong caustic alkalies at
the ordinary temperature and only slowly at the boiling temperature.
It is very slowly attacked by cold concentrated sulphuric acid, but it
is relatively easily dissolved on warming with strong nitric acid. Elastins
of different origin act differently with cold concentrated hydrochloric
acid; for instance, elastin from the aorta dissolves readily therein, while
elastin from the ligamentum nucha?, at least from old animals, dissolves
with difficulty. Elastin is more readily dissolved by warm concen-
trated hydrochloric acid. It responds to the xanthoproteic reaction,
and to that with Millon’s reagent, but not to the Adamkiewicz-
Hopkins reaction.
On account of its great resistance to chemical reagents, elastin may
be prepared (best from the ligamentum nuchae) in the fallowing way:
First boil with water, then with 1 per cent caustic potash, then again
1
Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 67.
2
See Walchli, Journ. f. prSkt. Chem. (N. F.), 17.
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