Leucine
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Description
An essential Amino acid that was first discovered in 1819. Leucine is a water-soluble amino acid that can be purified from Zein, hemoglobin, and Edestin to produce a white crystalline powder. Leucine is necessary for growth and maintaining the nitrogen balance.
Synonyms and Related Terms
LEU: alpha-amino-gamma-methylvaleric acid; alpha-aminoisocaproic acid
Other Properties
Soluble in water. Slightly soluble in ethanol. Insoluble in ether.
| Composition | C4H9CH(NH2)COOH |
|---|---|
| CAS | (l) 61-90-5; (d) 328-38-1 |
| Density | 1.293 |
| Molecular Weight | mol. wt. = 131.17 |
Hazards and Safety
Sensitive to light and moisture. Potential teratogen.
Fisher Scientific: MSDS
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 5475
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998