The acid crystallizes without water of crystallization from either 

 water or dilute alcohol. 



The aqueous solution of inosite monophosphate does not precipitate 

 egg albumin, differing in this respect from phytic acid. 



CLEAVAGE OF INOSITE MONOPHOSPHORIC ACID INTO 

 INOSITE AND PHOSPHORIC ACID 



/. Acid Hydrolysis. 



The acid, 0.35 gram, was heated in a sealed tube with 15 cc. of 3 

 per cent, sulfuric acid to 120 — 125° for about 3 1/2 hours. After cool- 

 ing, the liquid was of a pale straw color. The sulfuric and phosphoric 

 acids were precipitated with barium hydroxide and the excess of barium 

 hydroxide removed with carbon dioxide. The filtrate was evaporated 

 to dryness on the water-bath. The residue gave no precipitate with 

 ammonium molybdate, but after decomposing by the Neumann method, 

 a heavy- precipitate of ammonium phosphomolybdate was obtained, show- 

 ing that only a portion of the acid had been hydrolyzed under the above 

 conditions. The residue, however, contained some inosite which was 

 isolated as follows : The substance was taken up in a few cubic centimeters 

 of hot water, a little more than an equal volume of alcohol was added 

 which caused a voluminous, white amorphous precipitate consisting of the 

 barium salt of the unchanged inosite monophosphate. After filtering, the 

 precipitate was again treated with water, again precipitated with alcohol 

 and filtered. The filtrates were evaporated on the water-bath, taken up in 

 a little water and the inosite brought to crystallization by the addition of 

 alcohol and ether. It crystallized in the usual needle-shaped crystals. 

 After standing several hours in the ice chest the crystals were filtered, 

 washed in alcohol and ether and dried in the air. Yield, 0.06 gram. It 

 gave the reaction of Scherer and melted at 224° C. (uncorrected). 



//. Alkaline Hydrolysis. 



Another portion of the acid, 0.4 gram, was heated in a sealed tube 

 with 10 cc. of 10 per cent, ammonia for six hours to 120°. The solution 

 then contained some free phosphoric add as it gave a precipitate with 

 ammonium molybdate but the greater portion of the acid remained un- 

 changed. It was found impossible to isolate any inosite from this re- 

 action mixture. 



The residue was therefore again heated in a sealed tube with 10 per 

 cent, ammonia for about 4% hours to 150°. In this case complete hy- 

 drolysis had taken place, and after isolating the inosite in the usual way 

 0.15 gram was obtained. This was recrystallized three times from 

 dilute alcohol with addition of ether and was then obtained in colorless 

 needles free from water of crystallization. It then melted at 224° C. 



36 



