[Decarboxylation of amino acids and peptides in a photoreaction with potassium ferricyanide at 77 K].

We have measured action spectra of formation of radicals in aliphatic amino acids and peptides by reaction of decarboxylation with excited potassium ferricyanide. Peptides are capable to the reaction under longwave absorbtion band excitation, whereas amino acids are stable under these conditions, and decarboxylation occur only under irradiations by lambda < 400 nm.