A New Process for the Production of Nucleinic Acids.
Year: 1899

page_text: A New Process for the Production of Nucleinic Acids.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6, Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In 1889, Altmann (see "Archiv für Physiologie," edit. by Du Bois-Reymond,
1889, p. 524) described a process for producing a nucleinic acid by treating yeast
with a per cent. caustic soda-lye.
My foreign correspondents have now succeeded in finding a process, by means
of which it is possible to obtain nucleinic acids in a much more profitable manner:
The new process consists in causing solutions of alkaline aluminates (or
analogous alkaline salts obtainable from metallic oxides, in which the metallic
oxides behave like weak acids, such as the alkaline zincates the stannates,
plumbates, or the like) to act, at elevated temperatures, on yeast or other vegetable
organisms, organs, or humors, which contain cells capable of development.
In order to illustrate, the new process the following example is given:-
EXAMPLE.
-
To a mixture prepared from 10 kilos., by weight, of pressed yeast, and 10 parts
of water, 10 litres of a per cent. sodium zincate solution are added. Thus, a
thick mass is produced, which becomes liquid, when stirred for a short time.
Subsequently, the liquid is heated, at from 70° to 75° Centigrade, for an hour
on a water bath. Then it is acidulated by means of a 50 per cent. acetic acid,
and filtered without previous cooling. The resulting filtrate is mixed with
10 litres of alcohol. Thus, a precipitate is obtained, which is the sodium salt
of the nucleinic acid. From this salt, the free acid is obtained by dissolving the
same in water, and by pouring the resulting solution into an alcoholic hydro-
chloric acid-solution.
The nucleinic acid thus precipitated represents a colourless voluminous powder
soluble with difficulty in water. It dissolves readily in alkalies, and in solutions
of salts of organic acids, for instance, of sodium acetate.
The said acid exhibits all the known properties of a nucleinic acid; thus, for
instance, it can be split by the action of hydrochloric acid, carbohydrates, and
xanthine, bases being formed. It contains a comparatively high percentage of
phosphorus, which can easily be recognised by analysis.
According to the researches of my foreign correspondents, the process proceeds
in an analogous manner, if, instead of sodium zincate, other of the hereinbefore
defined agents are used, or if, in place of yeast, other vegetable organs or
humors containing cells capable of development, are employed.
Naturally, my foreign correspondents do not confine themselves to the par-

page_text: ticulars given in the above specification, as the example contained therein is
merely typical, and can be varied within wide limits.
Dated 1 1-41
P T..L 1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
A New Process for the Production of Nucleïnic Acids.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6, Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
In 1889, Altmann (see "Archiv für Physiologie," edited by Du Bois-Reymond
1889, p. 524) described a process for producing a nucleinic acid by treating yeast
with a 3 per cent. caustic soda-lye.
My foreign correspondents have now succeeded in finding a process, by means
of which it is possible to obtain nucleinic acids in a much more profitable manner.
The new process consists in causing solutions of alkaline aluminates (or
analogous alkaline salts obtainable from metallic oxides, in which the metallic
oxides behave like weak acids, such as the alkaline zincates, the stannates,
plumbates, or the like) to act, at elevated temperatures, on yeast or other vegetable
organisms, organs, or humors, which contain cells capable of development.
In order to illustrate the new process the following example is given:-
EXAMPLE.
-
To a mixture prepared from 10 kilos. by weight of pressed yeast and 10 parts
of water, 10 litres of a 5 per cent. sodium zincate solution are added. Thus, a
thick mass is produced, which becomes liquid, when stirred for a short time.
Subsequently, the liquid is heated at from 70°-75° Centigrade, for an hour,
on a water bath. Then it is acidulated by means of a 50 per cent. acetic acid,
and filtered without previous cooling. The resulting filtrate is mixed with
10 litres of alcohol. Thus, a precipitate is obtained, which is the sodium salt
of the nucleinic acid. From this salt, the free acid is obtained by dissolving the
salt in water, and by pouring the resulting solution into an alcoholic hydro-
chloric acid solution.
The nucleinic acid thus precipitated represents a colorless powder soluble
with difficulty in water. It dissolves readily in alkalies, and in solutions
of salts of organic acids, for instance, of sodium acetate.
The said acid exhibits all the known properties of a nucleinic acid: thus for
instance, it can be split by the action of hydrochloric acid, carbohydrates, and
xanthine bases being formed.
It contains a comparatively high percentage of phosphorus, which can easily be
recognized by analysis.
According to the researches of my foreign correspondents, the process proceeds
in an analogous manner if instead of sodium zincate other of the herein before
defined agents are used, or if, in place of yeast, other vegetable organs or
humors containing cells capable of development. are employed.
My foreign correspondents do not confine themselves to the particulars given
in the above specification, as the example contained therein is merely typical, and
can be varied within wide limits.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me from abroad, I declare that what I claim is:-
The process for producing nucleïnic acids, which process consists in treating

page_text: yeast or other vegetable organisms, organs, or humors, containing cells capable of
development, with solutions of alkaline aluminates (or analogous alkaline salts
obtainable from metallic oxides, in which the metallic oxides behave like weak
acids, such as the alkaline zincates, the stannates, plumbates, or the like), sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Dated this 10th day of A 1000