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U. H. RAMADHAN et al.
Experimental
The amino acid L-histidine (1.55 g, 0.01 mol) was dissolved in ethanol (10 mL) and a
solution of potassium hydroxide (0.56 g, 0.01 mol) in ethanol (10 mL) was added, the
reaction mixture were refluxed for 2 h, the solution were evaporated by rotary evaporator.
The residue was recrystallized from methanol, A white precipitate (compound 1) L-histidine
o
ethyl ester was formed (ethyl 2-amino-3-(1H-imidazole-4-yl)propanoate). M.p.198 C,
yield 72.1%.
Acetyl histidine derivatives4,5
L-Histidine (1.55 g, 0.01 mol) was dissolved in (15 mL) glacial acetic acid and was treated
with (1 mL, 0.01 mol) acetic anhydride. The mixture was boiled for 2 h. The solution was
cooled to room temperature and evaporated in rotary evaporator to dryness. The residue was
dissolved in 20 mL of water and extracted twice in a separating funnel with 15 mL carbon
tetrachloride. The aqueous layer was evaporated and the residue was taken up twice in about
20 mL of distilled water and the solution each time was evaporated in rotary evaporator to
dryness. The residue was dissolved in a few mL of distilled water then filtered. To the
filtrate 20 mL of acetone was added, the mixture was cooled to 5 ºC for several hours. The
precipitate were filtered under vacuum and washed with 70% acetone and then with 100%
acetone and finally with dry ether. The precipitate recrystallized with ethanol to afford
Nα-acetyl-L-histidine; 4-Imidazole-4yl-2-(N-acetyl)propanoic acid (Compound 2).
M.p.153 oC, yield 68.9%.
Compound 3 was prepared by reflux (1.83 g, 0.01 mol) of compound 1 and 10 mL
glacial acetic acid for 2 h. The solution were cooled to room temperature and evaporated in
rotary evaporator to dryness. The residue was dissolved in 20 mL distilled water and
extracted twice in separating funnel with 15 mL of carbon tetrachloride. The aqueous layer
was evaporated and the residue was taken up in about 20 mL of water and the solution were
evaporated in rotary evaporator to dryness. The residue was dissolved in a few mL of
distilled water then filtered. To the filtrate 20 mL of acetone was added and the mixture was
cooled to 5 ºC for several hours. The precipitate were filtered under vacuum and washed
with 70% acetone and then with 100% acetone, and finally with dry ether. The precipitate
recrystallized with ethanol to afford Nα-acetyl-L-histidine ethyl ester; Ethyl-2-acetamido-3-
(1H-imidazole-4-yl) propanoate (compound 3)6 M.p. 118 oC, yield 63.4%.
.
Propanoyl histidine derivative7
Dried L-histidine (1.55 g, 0.01 mol) was dissolved in 10 mL dried propanoic acid. The
mixture was refluxed for 2 h. The propanoic acid was evaporated in rotary evaporator to
dryness. The residue was dissolved in 20 mL of distilled water and extracted twice in
separating funnel with 15 mL of chloroform. The aqueous layer was evaporated and the
residue was taken up twice in about 20 mL of distilled water and the solution each time was
evaporated in rotary evaporator to dryness. The residue was dissolved in few mL of distilled
water and filtered. To the filtrate 20 mL of acetone was added and the mixture cooled to
o
5 C for several hours. The precipitate were filtered under vacuum and washed with 70%
acetone and then with 100% acetone and finally with dry ether. The precipitate
recrystallized with ethanol to afford Nα-propanoyl-L-histidine; 3-(1H-imidazole-4-yl)-2-
propanamido propanoic acid (compound 4). M.p. 191-192 oC, yield 61.6%.
In the same way the compound 4 was prepared by refluxed compound 1 (1.83 g, 0.01 mol)
with 10 mL of dried propanoic acid to give Nα-propanoyl-L-histidine ethyl ester; ethyl-3-
(1H-imidazole-4-yl)-propanamido propanoate (Compound 5). M.p. 234-236 oC, yield 43.16%.