Abstract
The conditions for an unequivoval demonstration of chitinase activity in insect extracts have been investigated. The breakdown of undenatured chitin by cockroach preparations (blood, digestive juice, cuticle brei, extract of cast skins, saliva) and by an extract of whole termites has been demonstrated. The pH optimum for cockroach digestive chitinase lies between 5·4 and 6·0 and the products of digestion of chitin with this preparation were N-acetylglucosamine (75 per cent), probably its dimer and trimer, and a trace of glucosamine. Only N-acetylglucosamine and a trace of glucosamine were produced by the action of other cockroach preparations. Deacetylase activity could not be detected in the cockroach preparations.
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