Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)

Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Hannus, István: Albert Szent-Györgyi in the New York Times

[• HO—C I 9 HO-C I H-C 1 I HO-C-H I CH,OH L-Ascorbic acid HO OH I CHjOH (Vitamin C) CI HO—C II HO-C I H-CCI o=c o=c I H-CHO-C-H I TH

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OH L-Ascorbic acid HO-C-H I CH,OH dehydro-L-Ascorbic acid COOH I COOH Oxalic acid COOH I H-C-OH I HO-C-H I CH,OH L-Threonic acid Fig. 1. Two formulations of the same structure, and the reversible or irreversible oxidation reactions involving Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) first thing to do was to give "hexuronic acid" a new name. Szent-Györgyi and Haworth decided to call it "a-scorbic acid", meaning that it prevented the scorbutic disease, scurvy. Figure 1 shows the reversible oxidation and reduction steps which comprise the basis of the role of vitamin C as an antioxidant in living cells. (Szent-Györgyi's idea was that the medically recommended daily adult intake of vitamin C, 60 mg, is sufficient to combat scurvy, but a higher amount will make the body more resistent to other diseases. The current megavitamin therapy or orthomolecular medicine, based on this concept, was developed by Linus Pauling (1901-1994)

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, twice Nobel Prize winner, in 1954 for chemistry and in 1962 for peace.) The products of strong, irreversible oxidation of ascorbic acid are oxalic and threonic acids. These results and his role in resolving the Wieland-Warburg dispute over biological oxidation earned Szent-Györgyi the Nobel Prize in 1937.