The chemical and biochemical properties of fluorocitric acid

Abstract

Chromatography on paper and on ion-exchange and silicic acid columns has revealed the heterogeneous nature of five samples of fluorocitric acid. Chromatographically pure samples of biosynthetic and synthetic fluorocitric acid have been prepared. The biochemical activity of components of fluorocitric acid produced by silicic acid-column chromatog-raphy has been studied. Two types of impurities have been observed in synthetic samples of fluorocitric acid: those produced during the synthesis of triethyl fluorocitrate and those produced during its hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of triethyl fluorocitrate has been studied and optimum conditions have been devised for the production of ([plus or minus]) - fluorocitric acid. The stereochemistry of fluorocitric acid and the separation of its diastereoisomers on a silicic acid column have been discussed. A comparison has been made of the inhibition of aconitase both in guinea pig kidney particles and in an isolated state by purified biosynthetic and synthetic ([plus or minus])-fluorocitric acid. Attempts have been made to prepare ''derivatives of components of synthetic fluorocitric acid by methods which readily produce derivatives with citric acid. The effect of components of synthetic fluorocitric acid on the quantitative estimation of citric acid has been studied.