AbstractsChemistry

The annual production of wheat germ, as such, in the United States is estimated to be 30 to 50 million pounds. However, the present milling yield of about 0.5 per cent indicates a potential production of about 150 million pounds of germ (1). The wheat kernel is reported (2) to contain 2.2 - 3.0 per cent of germ, and, therefore, it is possible that, in the future, the milling yield and hence the potential production of wheat germ may be greatly increased. For Canada, assuming an annual production of 350 million bushels of wheat and a yield of only 0.5 per cent of germ, the potential production of wheat germ is about 100 million pounds per annum. Wheat germ, as a by-product of the milling industry, is used as animal feed, generally as component of the bran, and in limited amounts as a source of oil. [...] The laboratory conditions for the large scale isolation of ribonucleic acid from wheat germ have not been studied in detail. Ribonucleic acid of a high degree of purity has never been isolated in good yield from wheat germ. Therefore, it is proposed in this investigation to determine the optimum conditions for the extraction and isoelectric precipitation of a definite nucleoprotein fraction; to investigate the required degree of denaturation of nucleoprotein for the separation of nucleic acid; and to develop a satisfactory method for the purification of ribonucleic acid.