Some N-acyl-D-amino acid derivatives having antibotulinal properties

Several N-acyl derivatives of D-tryptophan, D-alanine, D-methionine, D-valine, and D-aspartic acid were synthesized in high yields using the succinimidyl ester method and examined for their antibotulinal properties. In conjunction with 60 ppm of sodium nitrite, sorbyl-D-tryptophan, sorbyl-D-alanine, myristoyl-D-aspartic acid, and glycyl-D-alanine were highly inhibitory. In the absence of sodium nitrite, the N-acyl derivatives of the D-amino acids were not inhibitory. On its own, 60 ppm of sodium nitrite was only slightly inhibitory. Sorbyl-L-tryptophan and sorbyl-L-alanine had no effect in the presence or absence of 60 ppm of sodium nitrite.