On certain simple peptides occurring in marine algae

described the isolation of water-soluble peptides from the brown alga Pelvetia canaliculata forma libera S. M. Baker and the red alga Corallina officinalis Lirn. It was then suggested that the presence of peptides in algae was due to a lack of metabolic balance determined either by desiccation or by low illumination. To obtain further evidence in support of this it was decided to examine as many algae as possible and preferably calcareous forms, as these, owing to their incrustation, would naturally be exposed to a much reduced illumination. Accordingly the following were selected: Corallina squamata Ellis, Lithophyllum incrustans Foslie, Amphiora capensis Aresch and Galaxaura subverticillata Kjell. A number of unencrusted algae were also examined, but, so far, the only two found to contain peptides were Pelvetia