Sur l'oxydation de l'acide maléique et de l'acide fumarique en présence d'adrénochrome

Abstract

Spectrographic and manometric study, at 37°C, of the oxidation reaction of adrenalin by oxygen (Cu ++ acting as catalyst), in the presence of potassium maleate buffer solution (pH 6.5), shows that, under these conditions, adrenalin is transformed into adrenochrome. However, adrenochrome thus formed undergoes very slowly oxidative transformation and the large consumption of oxygen measured depends on the oxidation of the maleate by adrenochrome. The control tests show that neither copper nor adrenalin catalyses the oxidation of maleate in an oxygen atmosphere; in a nitrogen atmosphere the adrenalin-copper system is equally without effect. During the oxidation of adrenalin in phosphate buffer solution, the maleate (or fumarate) added is susceptible to oxidation because of the intervention of adrenochrome, formed intermediately. However, under these conditions, adrenochrome undergoes a subsequent oxidative transformation nearly as rapid as if the reaction had taken place in pure phosphate buffer solution.