Abstract
Studies of the kinetics of heat decomposition of the 5′-ribonucleotides in buffer solution have shown that the reaction was first order (or pseudofirst order) with time over a 15-hour period irrespective to heating temperature.
Heat decomposition products of inosine 5′-monophosphate in the buffer solution were inosine at pH 4 to 7, inosine and hypoxanthine at pH3.0 to 3.5 and hypoxanthine at pH2. Furthermore, those of guanosine 5′-monophosphate were guanosine, guanosine and guanine, and guanine, in the same pH ranges as described above, respectively. The heat decomposition of 5′-ribonucleotides was accelerated much more in the sugar solution than in the aqueous solution by heating at 124°C, because the pH of the sugar solution was shifted to acid side in consequence of formation of heat degradation products of the sugar, such as formic acid, in the solution during heating.
