Concerning Phytin in Wheat Bran

It has been shown in earlier reports1 that the organic phosphorus compounds of wheat bran which have been isolated after digesting the bran in 0.2 per cent hydrochloric acid differ in composition and properties from phytin or inosite hexaphosphate. It has been found that under these conditions several organic phosphoric acids are obtained. Of these we have isolated and identified t,wo; viz., inosite monophosphate and inosite triphosphate.3 Patten and Hart,4 who first investigated the phosphorus com‘pounds of wheat bran, came to the conclusion that the organic phosphoric acid in bran was identical with phytic acid, or the “anhydrooxymethylene diphosphoric acid” of Posternak. These authors isolated the acid preparation which they analyzed after digesting the bran in 0.2 per cent hydrochloric acid. We have shown conclusively, however, that when wheat bran is digested in this strength hydrochloric acid, the organic phosphorus compounds finally isolated are entirely different in composition from phytin or inosite hexaphosphate.