Vitamin C and Hexuronic Acid

Abstract

IN connexion with experiments under the direction of Dr. L. J. Harris¹ on the rô1e of the suprarenal gland in vitamin C metabolism, we have investigated the silver nitrate staining capacity of glands taken from normal and scorbutic animals. It will be recalled that long before the identity of vitamin C with hexuronic acid was postulated^2,3, Szent-Györgyi⁴ noticed the presence of a reducing substance (hexuronic acid) in the suprarenal cortex, which had the characteristic property of causing deep staining in the tissues when treated with dilute silver nitrate. It occurred to us that if the identity of vitamin C and hexuronic acid were genuine, suprarenals from scorbutic animals might react negatively, or less intensely in the staining test. In view of the unspecific character of the reagent and of the possible presence of other reducing substances, we were not sanguine that a clear-cut distinction from normal glands would be observed, but in actual fact the difference is unmistakable and dramatic. After staining for 15 minutes with 0.4 per cent silver nitrate solution, glands from normal guinea pigs were deeply blackened ; glands from scorbutic guinea pigs were completely unaffected.