L-Anserine

Definition

ChEBI: Anserine is a dipeptide comprising of beta-alanine and 3-methyl-L-histidine units. It has a role as an animal metabolite and a mouse metabolite. It is a beta-alanine derivative and a dipeptide. It is a tautomer of an anserine zwitterion.

Purification Methods

Crystallise anserine from aqueous EtOH. It is hygroscopic and is best stored as the nitrate salt (see below). Purify it by shaking the nitrate salt with Dowex 3 (x4 free base) and washing with H2O, evaporating the filtrate and removing H2O by 3 distillations with 10mL of propan-2-ol. Dissolve the crystals in MeOH and add H2O dropwise until one phase is obtained and cool. Dry the crystals at 60o over P2O5 in a vacuum. The picrate has m 145o (from H2O). [Rinderknecht et al. J Org Chem 29 1968 1964, Beilstein 25 II 408, 25 IV 4383.]