URINARY ADRENOCORTICAL STEROIDS: I. RETENTION OF FORMALDEHYDE BY EXTRACTS OF URINE IN THE DETERMINATION OF FORMALDEHYDOGENIC SUBSTANCES

Abstract

Neither cortisone nor formaldehyde added to CHCl3 extracts of urine can be recovered quantitatively. With extracts washed with dilute alkali (0.1 [image] NaOH or sat. soln. NaHCO3) recovery was improved. The use of increased concn. of HIO4 or of longer periods of oxidation does not improve the recovery of CH2O from washed extracts, but does improve recovery from unwashed extracts. The low recovery of CH2O is therefore not a result of competitive inhibition of the oxidation. Since cortisone and CH2O added in equivalent amts. are recovered in identical degree, the CH2O released during oxidation of formaldehydogenic steroids is taken up by some other material in the urinary extract and prevented from distilling free of the extract to take part in the colorimetric reaction. The CH2O-trapping material is partly removed by alkali washing. The alkali wash also removes some formaldehydrogenic material which is more slowly oxidized than cortisone.