Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
A study was made of the reaction between crystal violet and lipids of the mycolic acid type, considering this to be a prototype of the more general reaction between basic dye and acid-fast lipid. The reaction went to completion in chloroform and at the end 1 mole of dye had combined with 1 mole of mycolic or leprosinic acid. The complex so formed was soluble in xylene as well as chloroform although the dye had been soluble only in the latter solvent. The complex exhibited an intense absorption band in the near ultra violet (3500 Å) which was not present with either the pure dye or pure acids. Other acids were tested and while they might react with the dye, the specific adsorption peak was not produced. If either the carboxyl groups or the hydroxyl group of leprosinic acid were blocked the characteristic reaction did not occur.
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