Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Hydrolysis of Hippuric Acid in Electrolytic Desalters

Abstract

IN 1947 Consden, Gordon and Martin1 published the design of an apparatus for the removal of salts from solutions of amino-acids and peptides by electrolysis. Since that time this method has been frequently used for the preparation of samples for the analysis of urinary amino-acids by paper chromatography. Whenever this has been done little account seems to have been taken of the fact that hippuric acid, which is present in relatively large quantities in some urines, is a fairly strong organic acid, and for that reason approaches the semipermeable membrane of the desalter at an early stage in the electrolysis, and is there hydrolysed to benzoic acid and glycine. The purpose of this communication is to show that glycine released by the hydrolysis of hippuric acid is retained in the cathode compartment of the desalter, where it adds to the amount of free glycine already present in the urine, and that the increase in free glycine is dependent on the initial concentration of hippuric acid and salt.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Consden, R., Gordon, A. H., and Martin, A. J. P., Biochem. J., 41, 590 (1947).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lugg, J. W. H., and McEvoy-Bowe, E., Nature, 179, 1076 (1957).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lugg, J. W. H., and McEvoy-Bowe, E., Anal. Chem., 33, 535 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lugg, J. W. H., and McEvoy-Bowe, E., Biochem. J., 80, 616 (1961).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Stein, W. H., J. Biol. Chem., 201, 45 (1953).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gutman, E. G., and Alexander, B., J. Biol. Chem., 168, 527 (1947).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dunn, M. S., Camien, M. N., Shankman, S., and Block, H., Arch. Biochem., 13, 207 (1947).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Astrup, T., Stage, A., and Olsen, E., Acta Chem. Scand., 5, 1343 (1951).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. McEvoy-Bowe, E., J. Chromatog. (in the press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McEVOY-BOWE, E. Hydrolysis of Hippuric Acid in Electrolytic Desalters. Nature 192, 1072–1073 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/1921072a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1921072a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing