Meconic acid

Meconic acid
Meconic acid
Identifiers
CAS number 497-59-6
PubChem 5351448
Jmol-3D images Image 1
Properties
Molecular formula C7H4O7
Molar mass 200.10
Appearance colorless crystals
 YesY acid (verify) (what is: YesY/N?)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Meconic acid, also known as acidum meconicum and poppy acid, is a chemical substance found in certain plants of the Papaveraceae family (poppy) such as Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) and Papaver bracteatum. Meconic acid constitutes about 5% of opium and can be used as an analytical marker for the presence of opium. Meconic acid has erroneously been described as a mild narcotic, but it has little or no physiological activity, and is not used medicinally. Meconic acid forms salts with alkaloids and metals. These salts as well as meconic acid esters are called meconates. Meconic acid was first isolated by Friedrich Sertürner in 1805.

Chemistry

Meconic acid is a dicarboxylic acid. Its structure contains two carboxylic acid groups (-COOH) and one keto group (=O) attached to a pyran ring. Meconic acid gives a red color with ferric chloride. Meconic acid is colorless and is only slightly soluble in water but readily soluble in alcohol.

See also

References

  • Scott Lovell, Paramjeet Subramony, and Bart Kahr (1999). "Poppy Acid: Synthesis and Crystal Chemistry". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121 (30): 7020–7025. doi:10.1021/ja990402a. 

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • meconic acid — mə̇ˈkänik , kōn noun Etymology: Greek mēkōnikos of a poppy, from mēkōn + ikos ic : a crystalline acid C7H4O7 obtained from opium; 3 hydroxy 4 pyrone 2,6 dicarboxylic acid * * * meconic acid, a white crystalline acid derived from opium. It is used …   Useful english dictionary

  • meconic acid — Obtained from opium; it forms soluble salts (meconates) with many of the alkaloids of opium. * * * me·con·ic acid mi .kän ik n a crystalline acid C7H4O7 obtained from opium * * * me·con·ic ac·id (mə konґik) an acid occurring in opium that… …   Medical dictionary

  • meconic acid — /məˌkɒnɪk ˈæsəd/ (say muh.konik asuhd) noun a white crystalline solid, C7H4O7, present in opium and formerly used as a test for opium poisoning as it gives a dark red stain with ferric chloride. {Greek mēkōn poppy + ic} …  

  • meconic — /mi konˈik/ adjective Denoting an acid obtained from poppies ORIGIN: Gr mēkōn the poppy • • • meconate /mekˈən āt or mēkˈ/ noun A salt of meconic acid mecˈonin noun A white, fusible, neutral substance (C10H10O4) existing in opium mecōˈnium noun 1 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Meconic — Me*con ic, a. [Gr. ? belonging to the poppy, fr. ? the poppy: cf. F. m[ e]conique.] Pertaining to, or obtained from, the poppy or opium; specif. (Chem.), designating an acid related to aconitic acid, found in opium and extracted as a white… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meconic — in reference to an acid obtained from opium, 1819, from Gk. mekonikos of or pertaining to the poppy, from mekon poppy (see MECONIUM (Cf. meconium)). Related: Meconine (n.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • comenic acid — (ˈkō|menik , mēn noun Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary comenic (anagram of meconic) + acid : a yellow crystalline acid, C5H3O3COOH formed from meconic acid; 5 hydroxy 1,4 pyrone 2 carboxylic acid …   Useful english dictionary

  • pyromeconic acid — |pī(ˌ)rō+... noun Etymology: pyromeconic International Scientific Vocabulary pyr + meconic (acid); originally formed as French pyroméconique : a crystalline acid C5H4O3 formed by heating meconic acid or comenic acid; 3 hydroxy 4 pyrone …   Useful english dictionary

  • Muconic acid — trans,trans Muconic acid[1][2] IUPAC …   Wikipedia

  • comenic — comenic, a. Chem. (kəʊˈmɛnɪk) [Factitiously formed by transposing the syllables of meconic.] In comenic acid, a dibasic acid, C6H4O5, crystallizing in light yellow prisms: a product of the decomposition of meconic acid, hence called para and meta …   Useful english dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”