148 Adenine and Guanine 
A substance crystallized out in the form of clusters of needles, 
only light yellow in color. The crystals were filtered off and 
dried at 100°. The substance had no true melting point but 
decomposed at 190—200°. 
0.1509 gm. of the picrate yielded on analysis 0.0422 gm. N or 29.29 per 
cent. Guanine picrate contains 29.41 per cent N. 
Guanine Hydrochloride.—A small amount of the guanine ob- 
tained from milk was dissolved in dilute HCI. On standing at a 
low temperature crystals formed in the shape of needles. These 
were filtered off and dried as well as possible in the desiccator 
over concentrated H,SO,. The substance did not have a definite 
melting point. 
0.1212 gm. of the substance yielded 0.0457 gm. N or 37.52 per cent. 
N calculated for guanine HCl = 37.26 per cent. 
Identification of Adenine. 
Adenine Picrate—Adenine picrate as obtained in the way 
previously described was dried at 105° and gave a melting point 
of 278—281°. 
0.0891 gm. of the picrate yielded 0.0276 gm. N or 30.98 per cent. N 
calculated for adenine picrate = 30.82 per cent. 
The picrate was sparingly soluble in hot water, practically 
insoluble in cold water. It crystallized in yellow needle-form. 
Recovery of Adenine from Adenine Picrate. 
From the adenine picrate the free adenine was obtained by 
treating the picrate with HCl and toluene-ether. The major 
portion was lost in this operation, but a small percentage of the 
adenine reclaimed had the following properties. 
Melting point, 350-360°; Kjeldahl nitrogen, 0.0722 gm. Adenine gave 
0.0372 gm. N or 51.52 per cent; N calculated for adenine = 51.85 per cent. 
The substance was recovered in the form of white needles. 
