Abstract
The leaves of rice plant were extracted with 1-3% CCl_3COOH solution and the extract was passed through the columns of Amberlite IRA-410 and then of IRA-411. The amine substances from the effluent were adsorbed on the column of IRC-50.2-Methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethylpyrimidine (I) from the eluate was concentrated, purified by means of both paper chromatography and thin layer chromatography and then isolated as a picrate (mp. 227℃), which coincided with the picrate from the authentic sample. When rice-seeds in sand culture were germinated with addition of (I) and 4-methyl-5β-hydroxyethylthiazole (II)(each 10^<-4> or 10^<-6> moles to 1g of seeds), thiamine contents of seedling with (I) and (II) was higher than those without (I) and (II). (I) is most probably a precursor of thiamine during the process of its biosynthesis in rice-leaves.
