Abstract
IN a recent letter to NATURE1, I have reported some observations on the more powerful inhibition of various oxidations in micro-organisms by dl-nicotine as compared with the l-form. Such results are regularly obtained when dl-nicotine prepared according to the method of Pictet and Rotschy is used; this preparation is relatively more efficient than the natural form. But optically pure d-nicotine later prepared by us lacked these properties. It was therefore concluded that some active principle always present in the racemic preparation is responsible for the observed effect. This principle has been isolated and identified as hydronicotine. Further, when we hydrogenized nicotine in two different ways and tested these preparations, we actually observed much stronger inhibition of oxidation in micro-organisms, as compared with nicotine, but no specific effect on fermentation processes. It is therefore concluded that hydronicotine and not the d-form is responsible for the biological effects described in my previous communication. Investigations along this line are in progress.
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NATURE, 138, 245 (1936).
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GAUSE, G. Nicotine Inhibition of Oxidation and Fermentation. Nature 138, 976 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/138976a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/138976a0
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