90 BACTEH1AL METABOLISM PRODUCTS 



These substances when formed in the intestinal tract are absorbed 

 and carried to the liver where they are conjugated with the formation 

 of indican which is then eliminated by the kidneys. The stages 

 through which indol passes in forming indican are as follows : 

 H H 



c c 



</ \ / \ 



HC C CH HC C COH 



I II II + o - | i| .11 + 



HC C CH HC C CH 



\ /\ / \ /\ / 



CH NH C NH 



H 

 Indol. Indoxyl. 



H H 



C C O-SOsK 



/ \ / \ / 



HC C- -CO SO 3 H HC C C 



H 2 S0 4 | + KOH | |i 



HC C CH HC C C H 



\ /\ / \ /\ / 

 C NH C NH 



H H 



Indoxyl sulphuric acid. Indican. 



Amins. The simplest member of this series is methylamin 

 (CH 3 NH 2 ) which is produced in small quantities in the decomposi- 

 tion of nitrogenous organic matter. It occurs in herring brine along 

 with dimethylamin (CH 3 ) 2 NH and trimethylamin (CH 3 ) 3 N. When 

 alinin is acted upon by the carboxylase the carboxyl group of the 

 amino-acid is split off with the formation of ethylamin according to 

 the following reaction : 



CH 3 CHNH 2 COOH = CH 3 CH 2 NH 2 + CO 2 

 Alanin. Ethyl amin. 



Others of special interest which may be due to bacterial activity 

 are: 



1. Cadaverin from lysin: 



CH2 CHzCHz CH2 CH COOH CH2-^CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 



I I - I I 



NH 2 NH 2 NH 2 - NH 2 + CO 2 



Lysin. Cadaverin. 



2. Putrescin from ornithin: 



CH2 CH 2 CH 2 CH COOH CH 2 CH2 CH2 CH- 



I I -T* I I + C0 2 



NH 2 NH 2 NH 2 NH 2 



Ornithin. Putrescin. 



3. Beta-imidazole ethylamin from histidin: 



HC NH\ H C NH\ 



II ^CH \CH 



?~ ?~ 



CH 2 CH 2 + CO 2 



CHNH 2 CH 2 NH 2 



COOH 



Histidin. Beta-imidazole ethyl-amin. 



