Chemical examination of kô-sam seeds (Brucea sumatrana, Roxb.) / by Frederick B. Power and Frederic H. Lees.

  • Power, Frederick B. (Frederick Belding), 1853-1927
Date:
[1903.]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical examination of kô-sam seeds (Brucea sumatrana, Roxb.) / by Frederick B. Power and Frederic H. Lees. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    heated on a water-bath until quite dry. It was then extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus with dry ether. This slowly removed a substance which was only sparingly soluble, for it separated as a faintly green-coloured, granular crust on the bottom and sides of the flask whilst the extraction was in progress. The extrac¬ tion was continued until nothing further was removed. The substance was collected, packed into a smaller Soxhlet appara¬ tus, and again extracted with dry ether, when it was obtained in the same form as before, but much lighter in colour. The amount of this substance actually obtained was 6-5 Gm. For the purpose of comparison it will subsequently be referred to as “ bitter principle (a).” It had the following characters:— Bitter Principle (a).—It is a fine, granular powder of a greenish tinge, due to a trace of chlorophyll. Its taste is intensely and persistently bitter. Its melting-point is very indefinite, but below 100°. It contains no nitrogen. Numerous attempts were made to obtain this substance in a crystalline form, but without success. There was, therefore, no assurance of its being an individual substance. Nevertheless, merely for the purpose of a comparison with quassin, which Heckel and Schlagdenhauffen have so confidently stated to represent the chief bitter principle of Ko-sam seeds, it was analysed. 0 1373 Gm. gave 0 2950 C02 and 0 0863 H20. C = 58 6 ; H = 7-0 0T364 Gm. gave 0-2932 C02 and 0 0838 H20. C = 58-6 ; H = 6-8. The colour of its solution in chloroform did not permit of determining its optical rotation. It is very freely soluble in absolute alcohol and in chloroform, but very sparingly soluble in ether, even when warm. It is also very sparingly soluble in cold water, more readily on warming, and the solution becomes turbid on cooling, but the separated substance shows no ten¬ dency to crystallise. The aqueous solution slightly reduces Fehling’s solution, and apparently to no greater extent after it has been heated with an acid. It is precipitated by tannic acid, and gives a deep brownish-black colour with ferric chloride. The dry substance gives with concentrated sulphuric acid a brown colour, and about the same coloration with nitric acid. It dissolves, with a yellow colour, in a 10 per cent, solution of potassium hydroxide, and is re-precipitated on the addition of an acid. It is also soluble in a concentrated solution of sodium carbonate, forming a yellow solution. Four grammes of the bitter principle were fused with 20 Gm. of potassium hydroxide, and the mixture kept at a temperature of 200°-220° until frothing ceased. The dark brown melt was