The constituents of Gloriosa superba / by Hubert William Bentley Clewer, Stanley Jospeh Green and Frak Tutin.

  • Clewer, Hubert W. B.
Date:
1915.]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The constituents of Gloriosa superba / by Hubert William Bentley Clewer, Stanley Jospeh Green and Frak Tutin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In order to ascertain if an enzyme were present, 400 grams of the dried and ground tubers were macerated with water for eighteen hours, after which the liquid was expressed from the marc, and filtered. The filtrate was then treated with about twice its volume of alcohol, and the resulting brownish precipitate collected. When dry, the latter amounted to 4’3 grams. It con¬ tained a considerable proportion of inorganic matter, but had marked enzymic activity, since it readily hydrolysed amygdalin. Twenty-five grams of the ground material were extracted successively in a Soxhlet apparatus with various solvents, when the following amounts of extract, dried at 100°, were obtained: Petroleum (b. p. 35—50°). extracted 0-135 gram = 0-54 per cent. Ether. „ 0'24 „ = 0-96 Chloroform .i Ethyl acetate . Alcohol . Total. 0-11 „ = 0-44 „ „ 1-02 „ - 4-08 „ „ 1-03 „ = 4-12 „ „ 2-535 grams = 10-14 per cent. For the purpose of a complete examination, 42'52 kilograms of the dried and ground tubers were thoroughly extracted by percola¬ tion with hot alcohol. After removal of the greater part of the alcohol, 10'35 kilograms of a dark brown extract were obtained. The whole of this extract was mixed with water and subjected to distillation in a current of steam, when 3'8 grams of a pale- coloured essential oil were obtained. This essential oil gave a colour reaction indicating the presence of furfuraldehyde, and dis¬ tilled at 150—250°/15 mm. On keeping, it darkened in colour, and de]Dosited some colourless crystals. The latter melted at 60°, and appeared to consist essentially of palmitic acid. After the distillation of the extract with steam there remained in the distillation flask a dark brown, aqueous liquid (A), together with a quantity of dark-coloured resinous material (A). The latter was separated by filtration and well washed with hot water, the concentrated washings being added to the main bulk of the aqueous liquid. Examination of the Aqueous Liquid (A).—The total quantity of the aqueous liquid, after being concentrated somewhat under diminished pressure, was extracted many times with ether, until the ethereal extracts were found no longer to contain alkaloid. The combined ethereal extracts were then concentrated, and com¬ pletely extracted successively with aqueous hydrochloric acid, ammonium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and potassium hydroxide. Isolation of an Alkaloid.—The acid extracts were rendered alkaline by means of sodium carbonate, and thoroughly extracted with ether, after which the ethereal extracts were concentrated