[Determination of purine compounds and purine bases in food]

The total purine content and the content of RNA, DNA, nucleotides, nucleosides and free purine bases has been determined in commercial raw food. After hydrolysing food samples with acid, the total purine content is enzymatically determined as uric acid. For the determination of the nucleic acid content, a method is chosen that allows for the analysis of the composition of nucleic acids. The amount of purine bound in nucleic acids and of purine bound in nucleotides, nucleosides and free bases is very different. The content of nucleic acids is especially high in the innards of veal, pork and beef. In these samples the quantity of purine bound in nucleotides, nucleosides and bases is very small. In trout and herring, however, more purine is bound in RNA and DNA. The same is true of roe, pork and beef muscle. Peas and beans have the lowest total purine content of all the samples examined.