Orotic acid is a nutritional medicine, also known as vitamin B13, but doesn’t belong to vitamins and is a kind of white and shiny needle-shaped crystal or crystalline powder obtained from water. It is odorless with sour taste. It has a melting point of 345~346 ℃. It is insoluble in water, ethanol and organic solvents, slightly soluble in hot water but insoluble in ether. Its reaction with hydrogen peroxide and concentrated hydrochloric acid can generate 5-chlorouracil-4-carboxylic acid. It can be obtained through the following processes: first: diethyl oxalate and ethyl acetate can have condensation reaction for synthesis of diethyl ketobutyric acid; use urea for cyclization reaction to obtain the 5-ethoxycarbonyl-methylene hydantoin followed by hydrolysis, ring expansion reaction and acid precipitation to get the finished product. In the field of medicine, it can be used for making drugs for liver protection for the treatment of jaundice and common liver dysfunction disease.
