Occurrence of keto-acids in blood serum and urine of cattle in comparison with man, horse, sheep and dog

IN connexion with metabolic disorders occurring in cows, such as parturient paresis and acetonaemia, an investigation concerning the keto-acids occurring in blood serum and urine was started. Several authors have carried out work in this field concerning man. Keto-acids are converted into 2,4-dinitrophenyl-hydrazones, after which they are separated by means of paper chromatography. The 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazones are reduced by hydrogen to amino-acids and identified as such. In this way Cavallini et al. 1, El Hawary and Thompson2, Markees3, Biserte and Dassonville4 and De Schepper et al. 5 showed that the following α-keto-acids occur in human blood: α-ketoglutaric acid, pyruvic acid, α-ketoisocaproic acid, α-ketoisovaleric acid and α-keto-β-methylvaleric acid. Moreover, it was shown that pyruvic acid predominates in human blood and α-ketoglutaric acid in human urine4.