Hipposudoric acid
Chemical compound / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hipposudoric acid is a red pigment found in the skin secretions of the hippopotamus;[1] although the secretions are often known as "blood sweat" (thus the name "hipposudoric", referring to "hippo sweat"), they are neither blood nor sweat.
Quick Facts Names, Identifiers ...
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Preferred IUPAC name
3-(Carboxymethyl)-5-hydroxy-1,4,8-trioxo-4,8-dihydro-1H-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid | |
Identifiers | |
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PubChem CID |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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Properties | |
C16H8O8 | |
Molar mass | 328.232 g·mol−1 |
Appearance | Red |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Like its orange-colored analog norhipposudoric acid, hipposudoric acid functions both as a natural sunscreen and as an antimicrobial agent.[2] It is derived from the oxidative dimerization of homogentisic acid.[3]
It has been both widely and falsely reported that hipposudoric acid colors hippo milk pink. This is not the case; hippo milk is white or beige in color.[4]