On the chromatology of some British sponges / by C.A. MacMunn.

  • MacMunn, Charles Alexander, 1852-1911.
Date:
[1888]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the chromatology of some British sponges / by C.A. MacMunn. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    5/32 (page 3)
    from GO0 to 70° C. The glycerin extract is rose-coloured, and has a green fluorescence in dilute, and yellow in concentrated solutions, and shows two bands, one between D and E, nearer D, the other between b and F, nearer F, the latter being continued into the general absorption of the violet end of the spectrum. In alcohol extracts of this sponge Krukenberg observed a band in red, which is doubtless due to the presence of a chlorophyll. In Reniera 'purpurea from Trieste, a similar colouring matter was observed which withstood exposure to direct sunlight for many hours: its watery extract was decomposed by boiling. Ammonia precipitated the colouring matter out of an aqueous solution but without change of colour. The aqueous solution possessed a violet fluorescence, increased by acetic acid, but under the iufluence of this reagent the colour remained unchanged. Fuming nitric acid at once destroyed the colour, sulphuric and hydrochloric acids more gradually. The aqueous extract shows one broad band extending from about halfway between D and E to F, and becoming gradually merged into the general absorption of the violet end. These floridines are limited, according to Krukenberg's observations, to sponges which appear violet to purple red to the naked eye. It would be more satisfactory to have had other chemical and spectroscopic characters described more in detail, in order to enable one to judge whether one is justified in establishing a similarity to, or an identity with, Krukenberg's floridines in dealing with new sponge pigments. The Uranidines, according to Krukenberg, are a class of pigments of a yellow colour which under certain influences, e.g. by ferments, are changed into brownish or dark-violet masses which are insoluble in lipochrome solvents, and refractory towards acids when thus changed. They are not limited to sponges, but occur also in the Ascidia and Insecta, where they form the lymphatic colouring matters, (e.g. in Hydrophilus, Dyticus, Oryctes, Melolontha, the pupae of lepidoptera &c.); also as aethalionavin in Aethalium septicum (a myxomycetous Thallophyte) and in Holothuria poll. In Aplysina aerophoba a uranidine occurs which Krukenberg calls aplysinofulvin, and with it also four other pigments. Among the latter a body which is soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzol, and bisulphide of carbon, and which gives a band between B and G; this is evidently a chlorophyll and it was found not only in this sponge but also in Reniera aquaeductus, Tedania muggiana, Sliberties flavus, Clathria coralloides, Hircinia variabilis, and Tetliya lyncurewm, 1—2