Some colour reactions of adrenine and allied bases / by A.J. Ewins.

  • Ewins, Arthur James.
Date:
[1910?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some colour reactions of adrenine and allied bases / by A.J. Ewins. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Abelous, Soulid and Toujan1 as a means of quantitatively estimating adrenine in solution. The method however when applied to aqueous extracts of supra-renal glands does not yield results in conformity with those obtained by physiological standardisation, at present the only satisfactory method of estimating adrenine. With solutions of the pure base the delicacy of this reaction is very great. A distinct reaction is obtainable with solutions of one part of the hydrochloride (or other salt) of adrenine in one million of solution. The rose red colour is apparently due to oxidation under the influence of iodine the same colour being produced by the action of other oxidising agents, or when dilute neutral solutions of adrenine are allowed to stand exposed to light and air. • Gomessattis Reaction. In a preliminary paper published in 1908 G. Gomessatti2 3 recorded a new characteristic colour reaction for adrenine, which he has since employed for the quantitative estimation of the base8. The reaction was stated to be brought about by the addition of a few drops of mercuric chloride (0’2 °/0) to a dilute solution of the base. On standing at the laboratory temperature a distinct rose red colour was produced within a few minutes. The maximum dilution at which the reaction was obtainable was stated to be 1—400,000. K. Boas4 was unable to confirm these observations and his experiments were confirmed by Frankel and Allers (loc. cit.) who stated that the reaction as indicated by Gomessatti could not be obtained except on very long standing or by carrying out the reaction according to a modification suggested by Boas (heating to boiling and shaking vigorously). With solution of 1—400,000 adrenine they could obtain no reaction in the cold and only a very feeble coloration on heating. In reply to Boas, Comessatti5 asserted that the reaction could be obtained but mentioned the fact that his solution of mercuric chloride was prepared with tap-water. On repeating these experiments I was able to confirm these state¬ ments. If distilled water be used in making up the solution no reaction 1 Abelous, Souli6 and Toujan. Soc. de Biol. 1905. i. 301. 2 Comessatti. Munch, med. Wochenschr. 1908. No. 37. 3 Comessatti. Archiv fur exp. Pathol, u. Pharm. lxii. 190. 1910. 4 Boas. Gentr. fiir Physiol. 1909. No. 26. 6 Comessatti. Ibid. 1909. xxm. No. 6.
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