Ustilagic Acid

Purification Methods

Ustilagic acid is a mixture of partly acetylated di-D-glucosyldihydroxyhexadecanoic acid which crystallises from diethyl ether. It has also been purified from the culture by dissolving it in hot MeOH, filtering and concentrating by blowing a current of air until the solution becomes turbid, then heating to 50o and adding 4volumes of H2O (also at 50o), and cooling very slowly. Filter off the white solid and dry it in air. It crystallises from Et2O, and is soluble in MeOH, butan-1,2-diol, poorly soluble in EtOH, n-BuOH, Me2CO and insoluble in H2O, EtOAc and *C6H6. [Lemieux et al. Can J Chem 29 409, 415 1951, Boothroyd et al. Can J Biochem Physiol 33 289 1955.]