| Aesculin | |
|---|---|
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|
| IUPAC name |
7-hydroxy-6-{[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy- 6-(hydroxymethyl)-2-tetrahydropyranyl]oxy}-2-chromenone
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 531-75-9  |
| PubChem | 5281417 |
| SMILES |
C1=CC(=O)OC2=CC(=C(C=C21)OC3C(C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O)O
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| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C15H16O9 |
| Molar mass | 340.282 g/mol |
| (what is this?) (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
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| Infobox references | |
Aesculin is a glucoside that naturally occurs in the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum),[1] California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)[2] and in daphnin (the dark green resin of Daphne mezereum).
Contents |
Medical uses
Aesculin is used in a microbiology laboratory to aid in the identification of bacterial species (especially Enterococci).
Aesculin hydrolysis test
Aesculin is incorporated into agar with ferric citrate and bile salts (bile aesculin agar).[3] Hydrolysis of the aesculin forms aesculetin (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin) and glucose. The aesculetin forms dark brown or black complexes with ferric citrate, allowing the test to be read.
The bile aesculin agar is streaked and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The presence of a dark brown or black halo indicates that the test is positive. A positive test can occur with Enterococcus, Aerococcus and Leuconostoc. Aesculin will fluoresce under long wave ultraviolet light (360 nm): hydrolysis of aesculin results in loss of this fluorescence.
Enterococcus will often flag positive within four hours of the agar being inoculated.
Line notes
References
- Plant poisons: Aesculin
- National Standard Methods MSOP 48 (Bile aesculin agar) and BSOPTP 2 (Aesculin hydrolysis test (UK)).
- C. Michael Hogan (2008) California Buckeye: Aesculus californica, GlobalTwitcher.com, N. Stromberg ed.
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