INOSITE. 551 



Inosite, C 6 H 12 06 + H 2 = C 6 H G (OH) 6 + H 2 0. This body, discovered 

 by SCHERER, is not a carbohydrate, but belongs to the hydroaromatic 

 compounds, and is a hexahydroxy benzene (MAQUEXNE 1 ). That it stands 

 in certain relation to the carbohydrates follows from the fact that NEUBERG 

 obtained some furfurol from inosite by distillation with phosphoric 

 anhydride and also that P. MEYER 2 found fermentation lactic acid in 

 the urine of rabbits after the introduction of inosite p3r os. It has been 

 known for some time that inosite undergoes lactic acid fermentation. 

 The acid formed thereby is sarcolactic acid according to HILGER and 

 fermentation lactic acid according to VOHL. S 



Inosite is found in the muscles, liver, spleen, leucocytes, kidneys, 

 suprarenal capsule, lungs, brain, testicles, and in the urine in pathological 

 cases, and as traces in normal urine. ROSENBERGER attempted to show 

 that in certain animals (rabbits) and organs (muscles) the inosite did 

 not occur free,but as an inositogen, but this claim has not sufficient founda- 

 tion and it is denied by STARKENSTEiN. 4 It is found very widely dis- 

 tributed in the vegetable kingdom, especially in the unripe fruit of green 

 beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), and therefore it is also called PHASEOMANNITE. 

 According to WINTERSTEIN a phosphorized compound occurs in the 

 vegetable kingdom which yields inosite as a cleavage product and whose 

 Mg and Ca compound is called phytin. POSTERNAK considers this 

 body as an anhydroxymethylenediphosphoric acid. From the cleavage 

 experiments of WINTERSTEIN as well as the observations of SUZUKI, 

 YOSHIMURA and TAKAISHI 5 on the occurrence in rice-bran of a special 

 enzyme, phytase, which splits phytin into inosite and phosphoric acid, 

 it seems as if this body is more likely an inosite-phosphoric acid. Ino- 

 site is found in plants, especially in the developing organs (MEILLERE), 

 and according to STARKENSTEIN 6 it occurs to a greater extent in the 

 organs of young animals as compared with those of older animals. From 

 this it follows that inosite is probably not a decomposition product of 

 metabolism, but rather a body necessary for the development of the cells. 



Inosite, which nearly without exception is inactive mesoinosite, 

 crystallizes in large, colorless, rhombic crystals of the monoclinic sys- 

 tem, or, if not pure and if only a small quantity crystallizes, it forms 



1 Bull. soc. chem. (2), 47 and 48; Compt. rend., 104. 



2 Neuberg, Bioch. Zeitschr., 9; P. Mayer, ibid., 9. 



3 Hilger, Annal. d. Chem. u. Pharm., 160; Vohl, Ber. d. d. Chem. Gesellsch., 9. 



4 Rosenberger, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 56, 57, and 58; Starkenstein, ibid., 58. 



5 Winterstein, Ber. d. d. chem. Gesellsch., 30, and Zeitschr. f. physiol. chem., 58; 

 Posternak, Contribution a 1'etude chim. de 1'assimilation chlorophyllienne. Revue 

 generate botanique, Tome 12 (1900), and Compt. rend., 137; Suzuki, Yoshimura and 

 Takaishi, Bull, agric. Univers. Tokio, 7. 



6 Meillere Jour. d. Chim, et Pharm. (6) 28; Starkenstein, Zeitschr. f, Exp. Path. u. 

 Therap., 5. 



