Trichloroacetic acid

Trichloroacetic acid is an acetic acid analogue commonly used to precipitate proteins, DNA and RNA. In the presence of SDS Trichloroacetic acid will precipitate proteins which can then be quantified by the Lowry method. The compound has also found uses as a decalcifier and fixative in microscopy, in protein sequencing, detecting albumin and organic synthesis. Rats exposed to chronic sublethal amounts of trichloroacetic acid displayed an increase in serum bilirubin with a decrease in hematological proteins and cholesterols along with significant decreases in red blood corpuscles, mean cell volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, hemoglobin and hematocrit. In mice the production of liver tumors was associated to Trichloroacetic acid, which is also a known mouse hepatocarinogen.