Chemical examination of cotton-root bark / by Frederick B. power and Henry Browning, Jun.

  • Power, Frederick B. (Frederick Belding), 1853-1927
Date:
1914.]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Chemical examination of cotton-root bark / by Frederick B. power and Henry Browning, Jun. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Chloroform, Ethyl Acetate, and Alcohol Extracts ok the Resin. The chloroform and alcohol extracts were very small iii amount, and nothing of interest could be obtained from them. The ethyl acetate extract had a dark-red colour, and was similar in appearance to the portion of the ether extract which was soluble in aqueous ammonium carbonate. The ethyl acetate and alcohol extracts were separately heated with dilute a-cid and with caustic alkali, but they yielded nothing definite, and a similar negative result was obtained on fusing a quantity of the original crude resin with potassium hydroxide. Summary. The results of the present investigation of cotton-root bark may be summarised briefly as follows :— On distilling an alcoholic extract of the bark in a current of steam a very small amount of a pale yellow essential oil was obtained. This product gave' the colour reaction of fur- furaldehyde, and on keeping it deposited a few crystals melting at 112-114°, which appeared to consist of acetovanillone. The other constituents of the bark were found to comprise: (1) A phenolic acid (melting-pomt 196-199°), which gives an intense blue colour with ferric chloride, and is probably 2 : 3- dihydroxybenzoic acid; (2) salicylic acid; (3) a new, colour¬ less phenolic substance (melting-point 258-260°), to which the formula C9H10O3 has been assigned, and which yielded an acetyl derivative melting at 152°. It dissolves in aqueous alkalis, forming bright yellow liquids, and with ferric chloride a purple colour is produced. (4) A new, yellow phenolic substance (melting-point 210-212°), which appears to possess the formula C13H]905, and which yielded an acetyl derivative melting at 147-149°. With aqueous alkalis and with con¬ centrated sulphuric acid it gives a deep purple colour, and with ferric chloride a brown coloration is produced. (5) Betaine, CsHuChN ; (6) a fatty alcohol, C20H42O, melting at 77'5°-78'5°; (7) a phytosterol, C27H460 (melting-point 130°); (8) a small amount of a hydrocarbon (melting-point 60-61°), which apparently is triacontane, C30H62; (9) ceryl alcohol, C27H560 ; (10) a mixture of fatty acids, consisting chiefly of oleic and palmitic acids. The bark contains, furthermore, a considerable proportion of sugar, from which c?-phenvlgluco- sazone (melting-point 212-214°) was prepared, and by the acetylation of the sugar a small amount of penta-acetyl-dexlrose was obtained. No alkaloid is contained in the bark, and no evidence could obtained of the presence of tannin. The resinous material, from which some of the above-mentioned substances were isolated, was of a deep purplish colour, and amounted to 10'6 per cent, of the weight of air-dried bark employed.