GB552713A - Manufacture of yeast-growth promoting substances - Google Patents

Abstract

552,713. Pantothenic acid and related compounds. ROCHE PRODUCTS, Ltd., BERGEL, F., MORRISON, A. L., HINDLEY, N. C., and MOSS, A. R. Sept. 17, 1941, Nos. 11943/41 and 11313/42. [Class 2 (iii)] Pantothenic aldehyde-acetal is prepared by condensing α-hydroxy-##-dimethyl-γ-butyrolactone with an acetal of #-aminopropionaldehyde. Hydrolysis of this compound or of the reaction product containing it under mild acidic conditions yields a water-soluble component of aldehydic nature which exhibits growth promoting properties, and which on treatment with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of calcium hydroxide, yields calcium pantothenate. The preferred mild acid hydrolyzing agent is oxalic acid, and if the hydrolysis with this acid is carried out simultaneously with the oxidation, calcium pantothenate may be isolated by treating the reaction product with calcium carbonate. Use of an optically active lactone as starting material results in the formation of an optically active pantothenic acid. In examples (1) α-Hydroxy-##-dimethl-γ- butyrolactone and #-aminopropion-aldehydediethyl acetal are reacted in methyl alcohol solution to give pantothenic aldehyde-diethyl acetal. This compound on hydrolysis with oxalic acid at room temperature produces a growth-promoting substance which on oxidation with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of calcium carbonate forms dl-pantothenic acid. (2) Pantothenic acid diethyl acetal prepared as in example (1) are treated with oxalic acid and hydrogen peroxide and calcium carbonate added to the reaction product to produce calcium dl-pantothenate. (3) d(-)-α-hydroxy- ##-dimethyl-γ-butyrolactone is treated as in example (1) to produce corresponding products which are optically active. (4) As in example (2) using optically active materials.