Edible birds nest substance

An alternative method for the preparation of sialic acids is methanolysis of crude complex carbohydrate preparations with hydrochloric acid, which leads to the formation of neuraminic acid-p-methylglycoside (Neu- -Me) from all natural N- and 0-acyl derivatives of neuraminic acid (Schauer and Buscher 1974, ScHAUER 1978). This method can easily be employed on a large scale, e.g. yielding 8.8 g Neu-p-Me from 100 g of edible bird s nest substance. It allows preparation of various homogeneous N-acyl derivatives of neuraminic acid on re-N-acetylation and acid removal of the -methyl group, with or without a radioactive label (Schauer et al. 1970, Schauer and Buscher 1974). 

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