By warming acetylacetoacrylic acid (II), m.p. 28.5°, with acetic anhydride in glacial acetic acid, with sulfuric acid as a catalyst, protoanemonin (I), b.p.0.1 32-36°, was obtained as needle crystals (m.p. -5°), in 57% yield. The yield form levulinic acid was 18%. The pH and antibacterial activities remained unchanged for a few months when 0.2% propylene glycol solution of (I) was allowed to stand at around 5° with the addition of 0.005% of hydroquinone or propyl gallate.