Chemical Properties
White to Off-White Solid
Uses
1-Methyluric acid, a metabolite of Theophylline, has been used:
for the determination of uric acid in stool samples by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry
in turbidimetric assay of synthetic urine samples
as a substrate for CYP1A2(cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 2) assay
Definition
ChEBI: An oxopurine that is 7,9-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6,8(3H)-trione substituted by a methyl group at N-1. It is one of the metabolites of caffeine found in human urine.
Biochem/physiol Actions
1-Methyluric acid (1-U) is a major metabolite of caffeine and theophylline with antioxidant activity that protects molecules such as low density lipoproteins (LDL) from oxidative modifications. 1-Methyluric acid may be used in studies aimed at differentiating the activities of caffeine and theophylline metabolites.
Purification Methods
Recrystallise it from H2O. Its solubility at 17.5o is 1g in 353mL of H2O. [Bergmann & Dikstein J Am Chem Soc 77 691 1955.] It has UV: max at 231 and 283nm (pH 3), and 217.5 and 292.5nm (pH >12) [Johnson Biochem J 5 133 1952]. [Beilstein 26 II 299, 26 III/IV 2621.]
