Date of Award

8-1937

Degree Type

Bachelors Essay

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Herbert Heinrich

Abstract

Initial interest in the preparation of glucuronic acid from gum acacia was prompted by several reasons. Being interested in both the chemical and biological fields, the subject of glucuronic acid made a strong appeal. Although glucuronic acid was discovered over fifty years ago, its position in physiology remained until recently undefined. Now, however, it seems fairly certain that this compound is closely related to carbohydrate metabolism and plays an im­portant role as a detoxicating agent in the body.

The laboratory preparation of glucuronic acid is still one of the important problems of chemistry. Our present knowledge of its synthesis and properties in the chemical laboratory is meager. The laboratory methods thus far developed are comparatively unsatisfactory and expensive, inasmuch as the yields of the product are small. Consequently little is known of the chemical nature and behavior of glucuronic acid.

In order to make a closer study of glucuronic acid, its synthesis, chemical properties, and possible uses, more of this substance must be available for study. Therefore, there is a definite need to study and evaluate through independent research, the usefulness of methods already known. It was then for this purpose that the method of F. Weinmann who used gum acacia as the source of the substance was selected.

Comments

A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts of Marquette University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science

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