FUNCTION 



acid molecule in a manner that can be represented schematically as 

 follows : 



CH3.C/^ ^ocarboxylase^ ^^^ ^O^ 



\COOH \COOH 



The activated pyruvic acid is then able to react with catalysts 

 for its oxidation to acetic acid, reduction to lactic acid, decar- 

 boxylation to acetaldehyde, dismutation to lactic and acetic acids or 

 carboxylation to oxaloacetic acid. By inhibiting the activation of 

 pyruvic acid, the absence of aneurine resulting from vitamin B^ 

 deficiency would interfere with all the chemical transformations in 

 which pyruvic acid plays a part. 



Aneurine and Vitamin C 



According to Roy et al.,"^^ narcotics such as chloretone stimulated 

 the synthesis of vitamin C by rats, but the effect was reduced if the 

 animals were made aneurine- or riboflavine-deficient. Since pyruvic 

 and lactic dehydrogenases are known to be affected by chloretone, it 

 was suggested that pyruvic acid might be utilised in the synthesis of 

 ascorbic acid and that both aneurine and riboflavine might be necessary 

 for effecting this transformation. 



References to Section i8 



1. C. Funk, Z. physiol. Chem., 19 14, 89, 378. 



2. H. W. Kinnersley and R. A. Peters, Biochem. J., 1929, 23, 1126 ; 



1930. 24, 711. 



3. T. W. Birch and L. J. Harris, ibid., 1934, 28, 602. 



4. H. G. K. Westenbrink, Arch. neer. physiol., 1934, 19» 94- 



5. I. Nitzescu and C. Angelescu, Z. Vitaminforsch., 1942, 12, 82. 



6. B. S. Piatt and G. D. Lu, Quart. J. Med., 1936, 5, 355 ; Biochem. J., 



1939. 33, 1523, 1538. 



7. M. E. Shils, H. G. Day and E. V. McCollum, /. Biol. Chem., 1941, 



139, 145. 



8. A. Goth, Z. Vitaminforsch., 1944, 14, 231. 



9. H. A. Harper and H. J. Deuel, /. Biol. Chem., 1941, 137, 233. 



ID. M. E. Shils, H. G. Day and E.^ V. McCollum, Amer. J. Med. Sci., 

 1941, 201, 561. 



11. W. D. Robinson, D. Melnick and H. Field, /. Clin. Invest., 1940, 



19, 483- 



12. H. Wortis, E. Bending and W. E. Wilson, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. 



Med., 1940, 43, 279. 



13. H. A. Davis and F. K. Bauer, Arch. Surg., 1944, 48, 185, 190, 193. 

 13a. M. K. Horwitt and O. Kreisler, /. Nutrition, 1949, 37, 411. 



14. A. Geiger and A. Rosenberg, Klin. Woch., 1933, 12, 1258. 



103 



