Pangamic acid

d-gluconodimethylamino acetic acid


Chemical structure of d-gluconodimethylamino acetic acid, a structure of "pangamic acid" proposed in 1951
Names
IUPAC name
6-O-(N,N-dimethylglycinyl)-D-gluconic acid
Systematic IUPAC name
(2R,3S,4R,5R)-6-[(Dimethylamino)acetyl]-2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxyhexanoic acid
Other names
dimethylglycine d-gluconic acid ester
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C10H19NO8/c1-11(2)3-6(13)19-4-5(12)7(14)8(15)9(16)10(17)18/h5,7-9,12,14-16H,3-4H2,1-2H3,(H,17,18)/t5-,7-,8+,9-/m1/s1
    Key: ZQTHOIGMSJMBLM-BUJSFMDZSA-N
  • CN(C)CC(=O)OC[C@H]([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](C(=O)O)O)O)O)O
Properties
C10H19NO8
Molar mass 281.261 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Pangamic acid, also called pangamate, is the name given to a chemical compound discovered by Ernst T. Krebs Sr. His son, Ernst T. Krebs Jr., promoted it as a medicinal compound for use in treatment of a wide range of diseases. They also termed this chemical "vitamin B15", though it is not a true vitamin, has no nutritional value,[1] has no known use in the treatment of any disease, and has been called a "quack remedy". Although a number of compounds labelled "pangamic acid" have been studied or sold (including the 1951 d-gluconodimethylamino acetic acid), no chemical compound, including those claimed by the Krebses to be pangamic acid, has been scientifically verified to have the characteristics that defined the original description of the compound.

The Krebses derived the term "pangamic" to describe this compound which they asserted to be ubiquitous and highly concentrated in seeds (pan meaning "universal" and gamic meaning "seed").[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Check was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Herbert, Victor; Herbert, Robert (1981), "Pangamate ("Vitamin B15")", Controversies in nutrition, New York: Churchill Livinstone, pp. 159–170], ISBN 978-0-443-08127-9