The Constitution and Synthesis of Spermidine, a Newly Discovered Base Isolated from Animal Tissues

THE presence of an unidentified base in the mother-liquors after the isolation of spermine phosphate from tissue extracts was originally observed by M. C. Rosenheim and 0. Rosenheim during their early work on spermine and has already been reported [Dudley, Rosenheim and Rosenheim, 1924].This base has been given the name spermidine since it not only occurs in association with spermine but also has been found to be structurally related to the latter substance.Its phosphate is much more soluble than that of spermine and crystallises from the 25 % alcoholic mother-liquor, after the removal of spermine phosphate, on increasing the concentration of alcohol to