The constituents of leptandra / by Frederick B. Power and Harold Rogerson.

  • Frederick Belding Power
Date:
[1910?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The constituents of leptandra / by Frederick B. Power and Harold Rogerson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/18 (page 1951)
    removed, and the cooled, aqueous, alldaline liquid extracted with ether, the ethereal liquid being dried and the solvent evaporated. On dissolving the residue in alcohol, a small quantity of a solid separated, which, when recrystallised from ethyl acetate, melted at 62—65°, and was found to consist of a hydrocarbon and an alcohol, but the amount was too small to permit of their separation. Isolation of a Phytosterol, Verosterol, C27H460,H20. The alcoholic filtrate from the above-mentioned solid was con¬ centrated to a small bulk, when, after two or three days, a quantity of a crystalline substance separated. This was collected, washed, and recrystallised from a mixture of ethyl acetate and dilute alcohol, when it separated in flat needles, melting at 135—136°, and gave the colour reactions of the phytosterols: 0'2500, on heating at 110°, lost 0*0126 H20. H2'O = 5‘0. 0-1230* gave 0*3764 C02 and 0*1360 H20. C = 83*5; H = 12*3. C27H460,H20 requires H20 = 4*5 per cent. C27H460 requires C = 83*9; H = ll*9 per cent. A determination of its optical rotatory power gave the following result: 0*2374,* made up to 20 c.c. with chloroform, gave aD — 0°47/ in a 2-dcm. tube, whence [a]D —33*0°. A small amount of the phytosterol was converted into its acetate, which separated from acetic anhydride in flat needles, melting at 119—120°. The above-described phytosterol evidently represents a member of this class of substances which is widely distributed in nature, and compounds possessing practically the same physical characters have previously been obtained in these laboratories from various sources, such as olive bark, wild cherry bark, and jalap (Trans., 1908, 93, 909; 1909, 95, 246; J. Amer. Ghem. Soc., 1910, 32, 87; compare also Menozzi and Moreschi, Atti R. Accad. Lincei, 1910, [v], 19, i, 187). In view of these facts, and in order to distinguish the above-described phytosterol from sitosterol, which differs by the higher melting point of its acetate (Monatsh., 1897, 18, 551), it would appear desirable to assign to it a specific name. It is therefore proposed to designate it verosterol, with reference to the generic name of the plant, Veronica, from which it has now been obtained. Identification of the Fatty Acids. The alkaline liquid, which had been extracted with ether as above described, was acidified, and the liberated fatty acids collected, * Anhydrous substance.