Abstract
Mercuric acetate in watery solution oxidizes creatine to α-methylguanidoglyoxylic acid (NH2.C(:NH).N(CH3) CO. COOH). This compound, which was isolated in pure form, evidently precedes methylguanidine oxalate which was obtained by Dessaignes 1 many years ago by heating creatine with mercuric oxide. Dakin 2 obtained glyoxylic acid upon oxidizing creatine with hydrogen peroxide. The stages of oxidation of creatine may, therefore, be expressed as follows:
In the well-known Engeland 1 process for the separation of the bases of muscle extract, precipitation with mercuric chloride and sodium acetate is used. After several days the precipitate is collected and heated with dilute hydrochloric acid, then decomposed with hydrogen sulphide. Under these conditions the possibility of creatine oxidation, hydrolysis of the resulting compound and liberation of methylguanidine, must be considered.
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