Redoxon
Redoxon, first marketed to the general public in 1934, is the brand name, and the original name, of the first artificially synthesized ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).[1][2]
The product was developed by a team headed by chemist Tadeusz Reichstein, who discovered a method of synthesizing 30-40 g of vitamin C from 100 g of glucose. This used an intermediate step of creating sorbose using an ingenious bacterial fermentation method discovered by a French researcher, Gabriel Bertrand. In this method, fruit flies were attracted to a mixture of wine, vinegar, yeast bouillon, and sorbitol, a substance easily chemically prepared from glucose. Flies which fed upon sorbitol as a major food subtrate excreted bacteria which were able to synthesize sorbose from sorbitol. Using the bacteria, within a few days, it was possible to create 50 grams of sorbose using this method, and it was then easy to synthesise ascorbic acid from this.[3]
Despite concern about using the wild strain of bacteria for fermentation-production of sorbose, the process was superior to a rival method of Szent-Gyorgyi which isolated Vitamin C from capsicum. After sale of the Reichstein process patent to Hoffmann-La Roche, this process became the basis of the corporation's large-scale production of vitamin C.[3]
The commercial tablets are compounded from ascorbic acid and sodium bicarbonate. When these are added to water, they react to produce sodium ascorbate, water and carbon dioxide, thus producing a pleasant effervescence.[4]
Redoxon is made by Bayer, and sold world-wide except, for reasons that are unclear, in the USA.
In addition to Redoxon vitamin C, Redoxon Vita Immune tablets are also produced. Each one contains: Vitamin C 1000 mg Vitamin A 2333 IU Vitamin B6 6.5 mg Vitamin B12 9.6 ug Vitamin D 400 IU Vitamin E 45 mg Folic Acid 400 ug Zinc 10 mg Selenium 110 ug Copper 900 ug Iron 5 mg
[edit] References
- ^ "Redoxon by Hoffman la Roche, Inc.". http://www.trademarkia.com/redoxon-71350953.html. Retrieved 02-21-2012.
- ^ "About Roche Consumer Health". Roche. Basel, 19 July 2004. http://www.roche.com/med-cor-2004-07-19. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ a b Reinhard Renneberg, Arnold L. Demain, Biotechnology for beginners, p. 116, http://books.google.com/books?id=lDYL6793vMkC
- ^ D Cheung (2006), Inquiry-based laboratory work in chemistry, http://www3.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/chemistry/files/DerekCheung.pdf
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