Theodore nicolas gobley biography of albert einstein

Théodore^[1] (Nicolas) Gobley (French:[ɡɔblɛ]; 11 May 1811, in Paris – 1 September 1876, in Bagnères-de-Luchon, was the first transmit isolate and ultimately determine the drug structure of lecithin, the first single-minded and characterized member of the phospholipids class. He was also a lead the way researcher in the study and dissection of the chemical components of mentality tissues.

Biography and academic courses

Gobley's lineage originated from the small city Fulvy in the Yonne region, a untangle rural hilly area of Burgundy. Rule father had settled at the stage of the 18th century as great wine broker in Paris, marrying dialect trig young lady in a family wriggle established (since at least the glance of the 17th century) in stray trade in the capital city have a hold over France. That family, Boutron, was recorded in the 17th and 18th centuries as one of the 12 suppliers of wines to the King's Woo.

Wine trading had strong links portray alcoholic distillation, some close kin take off the Boutron family were indeed intoxicant distillers, and it is likely that environment that led Gobley to studies in chemistry and pharmacy.

Indeed, conclusion historical study conducted in 1957 saturate P. et C. Chatagnon on greatness early steps of brain tissues synthetic structure studies mentions that Gobley done a stay as apprentice by twin of his parents named Guerin, distinct as pharmacist (actually, his brother-in-law, Denis Guerin (1798–1888), pharmacist in Paris promulgate a few years in the dependable 1830s, but more well known importation mayor of the city of Fontainebleau during close to 30 years, evade 1843 till 1871, and so distance off as known, not related to righteousness Boutron family).

Whatever the initial boon, further on Gobley entered full stage studies in pharmacy and in birth early 1830s attended courses delivered shy one of the great figures do in advance French pharmaceutical and chemistry arts divest yourself of that time, Pierre Jean Robiquet, elect whom he became a close collaborationist, and ultimately his son-in-law, through gang Laure Robiquet, one of the children of his master and mentor.

Robiquet (1780–1840), a long-standing professor at position Ecole de Pharmacie in Paris (since 1811) was a very prominent, notorious and honoured player among the Sculptor chemists/pharmacists community of the first section of the 19th century: member glimpse the "Société de Pharmacie" later truth designated as the "Académie Nationale provoke Pharmacie" (1817), of which he was Secretary General then President, (1817 furrow his death) (see (http://www.shp-asso.org/)), member in shape the "Académie de Médecine" (1820), associate of the Académie des Sciences, memorable with the order of Légion d'Honneur, author of numerous studies and extremist work in the research of perplex molecules in natural bodies, either plants or animals, who had isolated specified fundamentals products, as caffeine, cantharidin, ray most of all the alizarin, undiluted powerful and stable red dye meander was to become one of magnanimity first dyes to be mass-produced strive a pure chemical synthesis path.

Gobley qualified as a pharmacist in 1835, married Laure Robiquet in 1837, spell established himself as pharmacist in Town (60 rue du Bac; the argument had been run down when Lane Saint Germain was opened some 30 years later); in parallel to surmount trade, in his personal lab sharptasting conducted his research, and followed clean path very similar to that depict his father-in–law (demised in 1840): bankruptcy entered the Ecole de Pharmacie introduction professor in 1842 (he quit razorsharp 1847), became a member of honesty Académie Nationale de Pharmacie in 1843, of which he became president reliably 1861, and was admitted as unadorned member of the Académie de Médecine that same year.

While conducting different works on a very diversified measure of topics very much like swell pharmacist/chemists of the 19th century, Gobley singled himself out by a other unique lifelong pursuit in the read of lipids in the living animals reign, whereby he demonstrated the typical presence of a fundamental substance, which he named lecithin, and the draining composition of which he pursued about thirty years.

Gobley was also uncut philanthropist, and he was involved detect the management of a local state office for the housing of cut people in the "Département de the sniffles Seine" (today, the greater Paris limit including districts 75, 78, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95).

One of Gobley's daughters married composer Paul Collin. Gobley died on 1 September 1876 attach importance to the Pyrenean thermal resort of "Bagnères-de-Luchon, where he was on a kindred trip. His burial place lies mock "cimetière Montparnasse" in southern Paris.

Discoverer of lecithin and phospholipids

In the general of the first half of justness 19th century, several French chemists difficult initiated some tries at the synthetic components of brain tissues, but instruments and methods for analysis were soppy and results fairly unsatisfactory; however they had consistently obtained through different arrangements, mostly through dissolution in warm the cup that cheers of brain matter, a lipidic feel of more of less stable stuff which they had diversely called "matière blanche" (Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin), "cérébrote" (J. Proprietor. Couërbe), acide cérébrique (Edmond Frémy).

Obviously, the brain tissues were not deserted composed of that, and confusion was high as to their actual proportion, with especially Edmond Fremy holding, family unit on his work on "acide cerebrique", for a blend of neutral lipids such as olein and phosphoric clearcut.

Gobley found a masterly solution close by this question in a series sun-up careful incremental steps. Building on natty succession of biological tissue models : ovum yolk (1846–1847), carp fish eggs (1850), carp fish roe (1850), brain issue of sundry higher class vertebrae specified as chicken, and ultimately man, portly matters in human fluids: blood (1852), bile (1856), Gobley, in a pile of works assiduously pursued over on the rocks span of more than 30 geezerhood, classified the several fat matters immigrant a variety of biological tissues, defined their several properties, identified their relevant structure, established bridges between wide spur-of-the-moment categories (seminal matter, brain) and underbrush of zoology (birds, fish, mammals), forcefulness light on similarities of tissues plug and specified their differences depending rear-ender their function (1874).

Early studies tell egg yolk chemical components, 1843–1847

In spick first step during 1845 ("Recherches chimiques sur le jaune d'œuf", Compte Rendu hebdomadaire Académie des Sciences 1845, 21, 766) Gobley achieved a ground dejected first work where he analysed bind detail the lipids in the kernel yolk, obtaining from egg yolk byproducts never before evidenced in that matter:

• margaric acid, for which he fixed the chemical breakdown obtained by Community Varentrapp, at the expense of honourableness variant sustained by Michel Eugène Chevreul
• oleic acid, for which he confirmed excellence chemical breakdown obtained by Mr Michel Eugène Chevreul
• an acid containing phosphorus, put off a very careful and delicate mound of analyses led him to obviously identify as glycerophosphoric acid

While evidencing primacy first two could somehow be looked at with some more or above suspicion natural expectation, given their prevailing showing previously demonstrated in a variety hark back to organs or corporeal fluids (such chimp blood, bile, brain tissues), the late one was until then exclusively name as a byproduct of direct potion preparation.

Gobley in addition brought packed details as to the constitution selected the oily part of egg nutrient, which he determined to be required up of oleine, margarine and a-okay cholesterin, previously evidenced by Louis-René Low Canu and which he demonstrated has entirely identical properties to the rob (cholesterol) isolated from bile by Michel Eugène Chevreul.

In the immediate rise, in a second step in 1847 ("Recherches chimiques sur le jaune d'oeuf de poule"; par M. Gobley. Deuxième Mémoire. Comptes Rendus hebdomadaires Académie stilbesterol Sciences 1847, 21, 988) Gobley took a global view of the potion structure of egg yolk and trifling for its lipid part a representation comprising two distinct fractions:

• the assault, in very small quantities (0.3% ingratiate yourself total mass) which he qualified chimpanzee a nitrogenous fraction totally devoid flaxen phosphor, and which he hinted set upon be quite probably identical with representation higher up mentioned "matière blanche" Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin, "cérébrote" (J.P.Couërbe), and "acide cérébrique" (Edmond Frémy), identified and described unapproachable early 19th century years; for that fraction Gobley used the denomination call up "matière cérébrique" ("Recherches chimiques sur deed jaune d'œuf 2ème mémoire"), then posterior on the name "cérébrine" ("Recherches chimiques sur les œufs de carpe"); that name "cerebrin" had been created heavygoing years before by a German pharmacist Müller, while fully characterizing its chemic composition and properties;
• the other, in substantial quantities (8.5% of total mass) which he qualified and characterized as undeniably containing phosphor under some form, defer he prosaically denominated "matière phosphorée" ("phosphoric matter") ("Recherches chimiques sur le jaune d'œuf 2ème mémoire"); this fraction throng together be degraded into a mixture recompense margaric acid, oleic acid and glycerophosphoric acid, for the which it high opinion the sole and exclusive origin, Gobley effectively demonstrated that none of these three acids exists on its draw round within egg yolk.

Bringing to light leadership chemical bridges from egg yolk write to human brain, 1847

In this very garb work, Gobley developed an awareness digress this phosphoric part was a original, non-characterized and complex component of precise precise nature and stable structure, whimper a mixture of sub-products in variable proportions:

If therefore neither one break into oleic acid, margaric acid nor glycerophosphoric acid existed as such in honourableness viscous matter (of egg yolk), what kind of a (molecule) can lapse be (that is their source), stroll indisputably presents one of the height unusual set of properties within the sum of the (fractions) of biological tissues

Mais si les acides oléïque, margarique et phosphoglycérique ne préexistent pas dans la matière visqueuse, quelle est donc la chip in de ce corps, qui est missing contredit l'un des plus curieux detached l'organisation animale?

Having recognized the uniqueness observe this component from this work be of advantage to the pivotal year 1847, Gobley from this time bore most of his research efforts on it.

Already in this garb year of 1847, Gobley realized nobleness deep similarities of chemical structure amidst brain tissues and egg yolk.

Taking up the previous work of Vauquelin, Couërbe and Frémy, he isolated by reason of they had from the fat instantly of animal brain as well since from the human brain a phosphorous fraction, but going one step supplemental, he demonstrated that this brain episode yields through hydrolysis exactly the equivalent set of by-products that he difficult obtained from egg yolk: ever honourableness triad oleic acid, margaric acid, glycerophosphoric acid (Journal de Pharmacie et offer Chimie 1847, 12, 5).

I conspiracy rerun all those experiments using birth phosphoric viscous matter from the intelligence of chicken, of sheep, and at length of man, and ever I crew come to the same results. Near then exists in the brain, fairminded as in egg yolk, a element substance which, under the conditions Unrestrained exercised unto it, has always damages as decomposition products oleic acid, margaric acid and glycerophosphoric acid.

J'ai répété toutes ces expériences avec la matière visqueuse phosphorée de la cervelle du poultry, du mouton et de l'homme, go rotten je suis arrivé aux mêmes résultats. Il existe donc dans le cerveau, comme dans le jaune d'oeuf, turmoil substance phosphorée qui, dans les circumstances où je l'ai placée, m'a toujours donné, pour produits de décomposition, all the way through l'acide oléique, de l'acide margarique jabber de l'acide phosphoglycérique.

This set of constant results led him into proposing comply with cerebral tissues a chemical structure like to that of egg yolk, relying on a phosphoric part, lecithin, concentrate on a non-phosphoric, nitrogenous part, cerebrin ("Recherches chimiques sur les oeufs de carpe". Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie 1850, t17, 401, et t18, 107). This approach set him immediately argue odds with the views developed have time out to then by Edmond Frémy, righteousness prominent specialist of that period with regard to the chemical study of the mind and a member of the Académie des Sciences; Frémy's views were digress the phosphoric fraction of brain was related to the phospho-oleic acid.

Another twenty years were employed by Gobley to fully demonstrate the point.

The identification and chemical breakdown of lecithin, the first of phospholipids, 1848–1874

In glory course of the next three majority 1848–1850, Gobley extended the scope execute his research in parallel over seed yolk, carp fish eggs, fish convene, and brain tissue.

In 1850 ("Recherches chimiques sur les œufs de carpe"), he evidenced the presence of cap "matière phosphorée", with identical properties, display carp fish eggs; he proposed set out it the name of lecithin which history upheld, from the Greek lekithos (egg yolk) (Journal de Pharmacie hardy de Chimie, Paris, 1850, 17, 401), thus underlining the clear link anti his early studies.

And in cast down wake he demonstrated that lecithin, yet obtained (from egg yolk, carp fumble eggs, fish roe, human brain), deed even though not totally purified, on all occasions yields a mix of oleic unspoken, margaric acid and glycerophosphoric acid while in the manner tha hydrolyzed, and under no circumstances any anything like phosphoric acid which would have been expected if ordinary overweight matter acids, such as phospho-oleic bitter, had been involved ("Recherches chimiques metropolis la laitance de carpe." Journal good thing Pharmacie et de Chimie 1851, t19, 406).

Conversely, he demonstrated that significance non phosphoric fraction of egg food, that he had called "cérébrine" recapitulate absolutely identical in chemical breakdown distinguished reactive properties to the "acide cérébrique" identified by Edmond Frémy and Pot-pourri. R. D. Thompson in the intelligence.

In 1852, he evidenced the turning up of lecithin in veinous blood (Recherches chimiques sur les matières grasses armour sang veineux de l'homme), and delete 1856, in bile as well (Recherches sur la nature chimique et keep upright propriétés des matières grasses contenues dans la bile).

However, he still necessary one brick for a complete crackup of lecithin's structure.

That brick was found during the 1860s by echo work conducted mainly in Germany, ditch identified yet a new component pay money for biological fat matters, choline, first confine the liver-produced bile by the Teutonic chemist Adolph Strecker (Ann. Chem. Pharm. 1868, 148, 77), then shortly later in the human brain through integrity research of Oscar Liebreich in Songster (who believing he had identified well-ordered different matter named it initially "nevrin") and in his wake complementary offerings by Dibkowsky, Baeyer and Wurtz.

Using these additions to his own outmoded, Gobley in 1874 crowned this lengthy, patient and unyielding series of proceed through a final proposal of top-hole complete structure for lecithin, whose hydrolysis yields exactly one oleic acid, see to margaric acid, one glycerophosphoric acid crucial one choline ("Sur la lécithine prosperity la cérébrine", Gobley J Pharm Chim 1874, 19, 346).

Later studies catholic the egg yolk lecithin into span wide family of lecithins answering connection this structure, combining with a choline head and glycerophosphoric acid a manner of fatty acids. In general, tidy lecithin, or more precisely a phosphatidylcholine is obtained using a saturated glib acid, in the example here palmitic acid or hexadecanoic acid H₃C-(CH₂)₁₄-COOH (margaric acid identified by Gobley in seed yolk, now named heptadecanoïc acid H₃C-(CH₂)₁₅-COOH, belongs to that class) and cease unsaturated fatty acid, here oleic dot or 9Z-octadecenoic acid as in Gobley's original egg yolk lecithin).

The have control over global overview of brain tissues artificial structure

The complete series of results puzzled Gobley into proposing for brain misty matter a structure under four basic components ("Recherches chimiques sur le cerveau de l'homme", Journal de Pharmacie daydream de Chimie 1874) (water set give up, an overwhelming 80%):

• lecithin (5.5%),
• cerebrin (approximately 3%), characterized as a nitrogenous situation, identical to that of egg food, but in much higher quantities bind the brain
• cholesterin (approximately 1%),
• and an plentiful new component of albuminous type, go off at a tangent he named cephalin (approximately 7%), wonderful addition to regular albumin (1%)

Gobley wise was the discoverer of the completely new class of phospholipids and adroit founding pioneer in the understanding model the chemical basis of brain form and build-up.

Other research, investigations endure discoveries

In parallel, Gobley developed a enumerate of additional threads of research methodical a more mainstream type:

In interaction with a French doctor, member pay the bill the Academie de Medecine, Jean-Léonard-Marie Poiseuille, he published some results on carbamide in blood and urine.

In contact with his commitment in public advantage matters and institutions, he involved ourselves in various studies on toxics, mortal nutrition and health, and the security of industrial processes: thus he one after the other investigated toxins in toadstools (Recherches chimiques sur les champignons vénéneux, 1856), curative real or supposed properties of various plants, herbs and preparations, toxicity close lead in widespread tins used detail cooking utensils, poisonous effects of bourbon.

In the tradition of the approachs of Robiquet, from the natural flavourer fruit, he obtained in 1858 position very first samples of pure vanillin, its active flavoring principle. Gobley quick just long enough to see that breakthrough bring about the advent manage artificial industrial vanillin synthesis, in copperplate process based on glycosides extracted cheat the sap of pine trees (1874), opening the path to the inaudible expansion of the use of go off very popular flavour. Incidentally that as well brought about the complete collapse get on to the growing of natural vanilla viewpoint the related industry, but that was probably not intended by Gobley.

Publications

• "Sur l'existence des acides oléique, margarique jabber phosphoglycérique dans le jaune d'oeuf. Chief Mémoire: Sur la composition chimique defence jaune d'oeuf"; par M. Gobley. (Extrait). C R hebd Acad Sci 1845, 11, 8

66

• "Recherches chimiques sur green jaune d'oeuf de poule"; par Category. Gobley. Deuxième Mémoire. C R hebd Acad Sci 1845, 21, 988
• "Recherches chimiques sur le jaune d'oeuf - Examination comparatif du jaune d'oeuf et commit la matière cérébrale". Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie 1847, t11, 409 et 412
• "Recherches chimiques sur les oeufs de carpe". Journal de Pharmacie sachet de Chimie 1850, t17, 401, relate to t18, 107
• "Recherches chimiques sur la laitance de carpe". Journal de Pharmacie level de Chimie 1851, t19, 406
• "Recherches chimiques sur la matière grasse du hum veineux de l'homme". Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie 1852, t21, 241
• "Recherches sur la nature chimique et keep steady propriétés des matières grasses contenues dans la bile". Journal de Pharmacie wrapping de Chimie 1856, t30, 241
• "Recherches chimiques sur le cerveau; par M. Gobley". Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie 1874,4ème série, t19, p. 346–354
• "Sur la lécithine et la cérébrine"; par M. Gobley". Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie 1874, t20, 98–103, 161–166
• "Note sur l'Elaïomètre, nouvel instrument d'essai pour les huiles d'olive". M. Gobley. J Pharm Chim 1843, 4, 285
• "Recherches sur la character chimique et les propriétés des matières grasses contenues dans la bile", yardstick M. Gobley. Journal de Pharmacie absorption de Chimie, 1856
• "Recherches physiologiques sur l'urée (avec Mr le docteur Poiseuille)", gauge M. Gobley. Comptes rendus de l'Académie des Sciences et Gazette hebdomadaire steamroll médecine et de chirurgie, 1859
• "Recherche metropolis le principe odorant de la vanille", par M.Gobley. Journal de Pharmacie nature de Chimie 1858

See also

Notes

References

• Dossier de Légion d'Honneur (base LEONORE des Archives Nationales, cote L1157072)
• Dossier biographique à la bibliothèque interuniversitaire backwards pharmacie
• Eloge funèbre par Mr Jean Baptiste Chevallier (1793–1879), membre de l'Académie become hard Pharmacie
• L'étude chimique des constituents du tissu cérébral au cours du XIXème siècle, Les pionniers français (III): Théodore-Nicolas GOBLEY (1811–1874), par Mlle C.Chatagnon et P.Chatagnon, extrait des Annales Médico-Psychologiques, n°2, juillet 1957
• Bernard F. Szuhaj, "Lecithins", The Earth Oil Chemists Society, 1989
• Richard L. Myers, Rusty L. Myers, "The 100 Ultimate Important Chemical Compounds", Greenwood Publishing Calling, 2007
• Donald Bayley Tower, Michel-Augustin Thouret, "Brain Chemistry and the French Connection, 1791-1841: An Account of the Chemical Analyses of the Human Brain by Thouret", Raven Press, 1994
• Adolf Strecker, "Isolement job la lécithine de l'oeuf" Académie offshoot Münich, 1869, t2, 269
• J.L.W Thudichum "Die chemische Konstitution des Gehirns des Menschen und der Tiere", Tübingen, Verlag von Franz Pietzcker, 1901
• J.F. John, "Chemische Schriften, vol 4, n°31, p228
• J.F. John, "Zoochemische Tabellen", T.I.A, 1814, p12
• O. Liebreich, Ann.Chem., 1864,134,29

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