CHOLINE CITRATE

Manufacturing Process

As described in US Patent 2,575,611, 107 parts of freshly prepared ferric hydroxide are added to 295 parts of choline dihydrogen citrate dissolved in 200 parts of distilled water and heated to approximately 80°C until a homogeneous solution occurs. The resulting reddish brown solution may be used as such or it may be dried by evaporating the water. The dried product is a reddish brown, amorphous solid presenting a glistening surface upon fracture. The dry product is somewhat hygroscopic and is freely soluble in water to give a stable solution. The following paragraph gives an alternative preparation.One mol of tricholine citrate is dissolved in 6,000 ml of water and two mols of ferric citrate in solid form are added thereto. The reaction mass is then agitated until solution is effected, and until the reaction mass changes from brown to green. Water is removed either under vacuum, or as an azeotrope with benzene or toluene or by heating to a temperature of 110° to 115°C. There is thus obtained a gummy viscous mass which is treated with methanol, about five gallons, whereupon it solidifies, i.e., changes, into a green crystalline compound. Following the treatment with methanol, the mass is filtered and the green compound dried at about 70°C, according to US Patent 2,865,938.

Therapeutic Function

Hematinic

Flammability and Explosibility

Notclassified

Safety Profile

Poison by intravenous and intraperitoneal routes. Mildly toxic by ingestion. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of NOx. See also CHOLINE.