Hydroxytetronic acid

There is obtained the hydroxytetronic acid L, the simplest analog of ascorbic acid containing the characteristic five-membered ring. Although this compound shows many of the reactions of an ascorbic acid it exhibits no antiscorbutic activity. If instead of using only ethyl benzoyl-... 

The procedure of Chen ef al. (C7) separated the ascorbic acid on paper using n-butanol or phenol saturated with oxalic acid to retard decomposition. A preliminary preparative separation could be used to concentrate the sample. Qualitative identification was made from the R/ of the spots located by spraying with 0.08 % 2,6-dichlorophenolindophe-nol, and quantitative analysis by elution with oxalic acid and titration with the same dye. Recoveries from urine and cress seedlings were 85 % or more at even the lowest concentrations tested (0.5 mg/ml), and the method could detect 1-2 fig ascorbic acid per cm of paper. The method clearly separated L-ascorbic acid and D-araboascorbic acid as well as hydroxytetronic acid, reductinic acid, and reductone. 

Beaumont, P.C., R.L. Edwards, and G.C. Elsworthy Constituents of the Higher Fungi VIII. The Blueing of Boletus Species. Variegatic Acid, a Hydroxytetronic Acid from Boletus Species and a Reassessment of the Structure of Boletol. J. Chem. Soc. (London) C 1968, 2968. 

The radicals decayed by the second order kinetics throughout the entire pH range The radicals produced in the radiolysis of aqueous solution of AA, arabo-AA reductic and hydroxytetronic acids were examined by the situ hydrolysis EPR method. 

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