On a Compound of Albumin 

 with Phenol. 



BY 



M. Shimada, Nogakushi. 



Finely powdered dry egg-albumin dissolves gradually when 

 heated with 10 times of its weight of phenol for several hours on 

 the water bath. From this solution alcohol precipitates a floccu- 

 lent mass, which, after washing with alcohol and water, repre- 

 sents a compound of albumin and phenol.'" 



This compound is without taste or smell, insoluble in boiling 

 alcohol and water, and in solution of potassium carbonate, easily 

 soluble in hot phenol. In concentrated acetic acid it swells up 

 gradually, while potassium hydroxide, even in dilution of 0.5 per 

 cent, dissolves it ; from this solution acetic acid precipitates it 

 again. 



It is not attacked in the cold by hydrochloric acid of 10 per- 

 cent, but gradually dissolved by one of 35 per cent. Nitric acid 

 of 5 per cent has no effect on it at the ordinary temperature, but 

 on boiling with concentrated nitric acid, a yellow colouration is 

 obtained. It gives the biuret and Millons reaction like common 

 albumin. 



1 grin, of this product was digested with 20 cc. of concentrated 

 hydrochloric acid at ioo° C. for several hours, and then the liquid 

 was subjected to distillation in order to sec, whether phenol was 

 hereby liberated, but the distillate obtained did not give a trace of 

 turbidity with bromine water. The same negative result in regard 

 phenol was observed in the following experiment, which was made 

 to sec whether that new compound would also yield leucine and 

 tyrosine, like the common albumin. 



I heated 3 grm. with 15 cc. of sulphuric acid of 30 per cent 

 for seven hours on the water bath and then for a short time on the 

 sand bath. 



(1) If the amount of alcohol is too small, then instead of a flocculent mass, a tenace- 

 ous mass is separated, from which the adhering phenol can be removed only liy prolong- 

 ed washing. (2) Peptone behaves similarly to albumin. < ). L. 



(2) This did not show the biuret reaction but yielded a very copious precipitate 

 with phospho-tungstic acid, pointing to a considerable amount of basic compounds. 



