MALIC ACID

or MONOHYDROXY SUCCINIC ACID (C.H.Q,), an organic acid which occurs in the free state and in the form of its saits in many fruits, including apples, grapes, and mountain ash berries. It forms deliquescent crystals melting at 100° C.; it di olves readily in water and alcohol. It may be prepared by boiling bromo succinic acid with silver hydroxide and water, or by treating aspartic acid with nitrous acid. Itis usually obtained by squeezing the juice out of unripe mountain-ash berries; the juice is boiled with milk of lime, and the resulting precipitate is di olved with hot nitric acid, crystals of calcium hydrogen malate being formed. The salt is then decomposed with oxalic acid.