Stachys tuberifera Stachyose

A. von Planta and E. Schulze, Landw. Vers.-Sta., 41, 123 (1893). Stachys tuberifera tubers contained 14% of their fresh weight, or 73% of their dry weight, of stachyose. 

In 1913, Tanret concluded that stachyose (in translation) is well utilized by man. Experimenting on myself, I made a meal of 500 g. of the artichokes, i.e., Stachys tuberifera rhizomes, both the bulbs themselves and the cooking water, containing at least 25 g. of stachyose. When the urine was examined afterward, it did not show the least optical rotation. 36 No other effects were reported by Tanret. Although Stachys tuberifera is cultivated for human food in scattered parts of the world, it is extremely unlikely that the stachyose which makes up the bulk of its dry weight is of any direct food value. 

In the original isolation of stachyose described8 by Planta and Schulze, the minced tubers of Stachys tuberifera were pressed and extracted with water. The juice, after clarification with lead acetate and mercuric nitrate, was treated with hydrogen sulfide. After removing the metal sulfides and neutralizing the filtrate with ammonia, the... 

On realizing the similarity of his manneotetrose to stachyose, Tanret undertook15 the preparation of stachyose from Stachys tuberifera, in order to compare the properties of the two materials. 

In 1952, Wolfrom and associates reported89 an improved method for the isolation of stachyose from Stachys tuberifera rhizomes. 

In 1953, French and associates28 described a still simpler method for obtaining stachyose from Stachys tuberifera. 

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