Action of Ascorbic Acid on Corticotropin

Abstract

PROF. MORRIS'S results are in good agreement with the observation of Holzbauer and Rigler¹ that the time necessary for the inactivation by ascorbic acid of the melanophore-expanding activity of pituitary extracts increased with increasing purity of the preparation. In these experiments, however, 88 per cent of the melanophore activity disappeared in 28 hr. even when the activity of the preparation was 150 I.U. of corticotropin per mgm. It is regrettable that a highly active preparation was not available to us when the experiments with K. Walter were carried out.