Chemical examination of the fruit of Brucea antidysenterica, Lam / by Frederick B. Power and Arthur H. Salway.

  • Power, Frederick B. (Frederick Belding), 1853-1927
Date:
[1907?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical examination of the fruit of Brucea antidysenterica, Lam / by Frederick B. Power and Arthur H. Salway. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    intensely bitter, but they formed only thick syrups, from which no solid substance could be separated. The final aqueous extract was almost completely devoid of bitterness, and evidently consisted chiefly of sugar. (B) 1 'he Resinous Substances. The total amount of resinous substance separated from the alcoholic extract, as previously described, was 21 Gm., thus representing about 1 per cent, of the weight of the fruit. It was dissolved in a little alcohol, the solution mixed with purified sawdust, and, after thoroughly drying the mixture, the latter was successively extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus with various solvents. The amounts of extract thus obtained, after drying in a water-oven, were as follows :— Petroleum (b.p. 35-50° C.) . extracted 6-2 Gm. = 29-5 per cent. Ether .... 99 1-5 „ = 7-1 9 7 Chloroform 99 3-2 „ = 15-2 99 Ethyl Acetate . 99 3-0 ., = 14-3 99 Alcohol .... 99 6-9 „ = 32-9 99 Total . . 20-8 Gm. = 99-0 per cent. The petroleum extract formed a dark green, viscid mass. It was hydrolyzed with alcoholic potash, and, after the removal of the alcohol, water was added, and the alkaline liquid extracted with ether. The ethereal solution was washed, dried, evaporated, and the residue treated with alcohol, when a very small amount of a crystalline substance was obtained. This was recrystallized several times from ethyl acetate, when it separated in glistening- plates, which melted sharply at 147° C., and afforded the colour reaction characteristic of the phytosterols. The alkaline liquid, from which this phytosterol had been abstracted by ether, was acidified with sulphuric acid, and again shaken with ether. This removed a dark green viscous substance, which apparently contained a small quantity of fatty acids. The extracts obtained by the other above-mentioned solvents were all amorphous, and, although carefully examined, no cry¬ stalline substance could be separated from them. Summary and Conclusions. In summarizing the results of this investigation it will be seen that the more important constituents of the fruit of Brucea antidysenterica, Lam., are the following:—