The chemical nature of vitamin C

HEXURONIc acid was discovered [1927] and isolated from plants and the adrenal cortex [1928] by Szent-Gyorgyi at the Biochemical Laboratory, Cambridge, and was investigated in regard to its function and chemistry [1928, 1930, 1931]. Its chemical configuration has been studied by Haworth, The striking similarity of this substance with vitamin C was evident from the beginning. As far as it is known, its distribution in plants closely follows the distribution of the vitamin. The chemical properties of both substances agree and both are biologically active in minute quantities.