Adamkiewicz Reaction
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
The Adamkiewicz reaction is a color test for proteins that indicates the presence of the skatole group. It involves boiling a protein solution with glacial acetic acid in the presence of sulfuric acid, resulting in a violet-red coloration due to glyoxylic acid impurities.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
ADAMKIEWICZ REACTION (Adamkiewicz) belongs to the color reactions for proteins and indicates the presence of the skatole group in proteins. It is performed by boiling (carefully, to avoid burns) the protein or its solution with glacial acetic acid C2H4O2 in the presence of H2SO4, whereby a violet-red coloration is produced, which intensifies upon standing. The reaction is produced not by the acetic acid itself, but by glyoxylic acid present in it as an impurity. The Adamkiewicz reaction is unsuitable for detecting protein in urine (like other color reactions).
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“Adamkiewicz Reaction.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/adamkiewicz-reaction/