Open AccessStudies in the Biochemistry of Micro-organisms. Part XV.—The Molecular Structure of Citrinin
Author(s) -
Frederick Philip Coyne,
Harold Raistrick,
R. A. Robinson
Publication year - 1931
Publication title -
philosophical transactions of the royal society of london. series b, containing papers of a biological character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9266
pISSN - 0264-3960
DOI - 10.1098/rstb.1931.0026
Subject(s) - chemistry , phenol , citrinin , catechol , potassium hydroxide , ferric , chloride , side chain , organic chemistry , stereochemistry , medicinal chemistry , mycotoxin , food science , polymer
The present communication is, in effect, a discussion of the results obtained in the investigation of citrinin, and described in the preceding memoir (Part XIV ); these results, combined with some few further observations, appear to afford a key to the constitution of the substance. In considering this matter, it is convenient to start with the dihydric phenol, C9 H12 O2 (I) (p. 290), which was obtained by fusing either of the isomeric products A or B (p. 283) with potassium hydroxide. This dihydric phenol has the composition of a dihydroxypropylbenzene, but the relative position of the hydroxyl groups and the arrangement of the alkyl side-chain or chains is unknown. The colour reaction with ferric chloride is, however, in agreement with the view that the substance is a resorcinol derivative, rather less well in harmony with the catechol hypothesis, and is hardly reconcilable with the assumption of a quinol nucleus.