Die Umwandlung der Acetessigsäure durch Methylglyoxal. I. Mitteilung.

Abstract

Acetoacetic acid and methylglyoxal in vitro form a substance which strongly reduces silver and Fehling''s solutions and gives an intense nitroprusside reaction. It distils between 98-99.5[degree] at 10 mm. pressure. A semicarbazone, m.p. 255[degree] (decomposes), and a p-bromophenylhydrazone, m.p. 181[degree], were prepared. By titration in alcoholic solution with N/10 NaOH a molecular weight of 118 was indicated and the substance appears to have a chain of 6 C atoms. This reaction between acetoacetic acid and methylglyoxal may be significant in understanding the transformation in vivo of fat to carbohydrate.