Urinary Elimination Products Following Ingestion of Nicotinamide (F₂ of Najjar and Collaborators)

Abstract

ABOUT three years ago Najjar and collaborators¹ started publishing a series of papers on two pigments eliminated respectively in urine of pellagrins (F₁ and of normal persons (F₂); the F₂ output is increased after the intake of nicotinamide and related compounds. Both pigments could be made visible by the following method. Urine was adsorbed on 'Decalso' (a synthetic zeolite), the adsorbate was eluted with 25 per cent potassium chloride and the neutral potassium chloride eluate was extracted with iso-butanol to obtain F₁, while F₂ was extracted after the alkalinization of the potassium chloride eluate. In long-wave ultra-violet light F₁ showed a violet and F₂ a silver-blue fluorescence. Coulson, Ellinger and Platt², when examining concentrates of F₂, observed a number of properties of F₂ (absorption spectrum, emission spectrum, behaviour towards hyposulphite, changes of fluorescence with the pH and sublimation in high vacuum) which suggested the similarity of F₂ to thiochrome. Recently Najjar, Scott and Holt³, and Huff and Perlzweig⁴, published papers on the probable nature of F₂. The former discussed the similarities and dissimilarities of F₂ to reduction products of N-methyl-nicotinamide prepared according to Karrer et al.⁵. The latter showed a number of properties of F₂ which were identical with those of N-methyl-chloro-nicotinamide. These publications prompted us to publish the results of the present state of our investigation.