The constituents of senna leaves / by Frank Tutin.

  • Tutin, Frank.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The constituents of senna leaves / by Frank Tutin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    5/21 page 2007
    and aloe-emodin, the latter compound being the so-called “ senna- emodin.” “ Sennanigrin ” is an amorphous, indefinite product, and the occurrence of “ sennachrysophanic acid ” (chrysophanol) and of “ sennazsoemodin ”—for which no melting point is given-—cannot be confirmed. With regard to the alleged occurrence of chrysophanic acid in senna, it is stated by Tschirch and Hiepe (loc. cit., p. 435) that the product obtained by them was free from methoxyl, and melted at 171—172°. In subsequent communications, however (Tschirch and Bromberger, Arcli. Pharm., 1911, 249, 222, and Tschirch and Weil, ibid., 1912, 250, 26), it is emphasised that pure methoxyl- free chrysophanic acid (chrysophanol) melts at 196°. Notwith- standing these differences of melting point, in the former of these papers (loc. cit.) it is stated that senna was the first drug in which pure chrysophanol had been observed to occur. It may therefore be noted that the three varieties of senna leaves which have now been examined were found to be devoid of chrysophanol, the only anthraquinone derivatives present being rhein and aloe-emodin. A summary of the results of the present investigation will be found at the end of this paper. Experimental. I. Tinnevelly Senna Leaves. The material employed for this investigation consisted of the best quality of Tinnevelly senna leaves. A small portion (10 grams) of the ground material was treated with Prollius’ fluid, and the resulting extract tested for an alkaloid with the usual reagents, but with a negative result. Another portion (20 grams) of the ground leaves was succes- sively extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus with various solvents, when the following amounts of extract, dried at 100°, were obtained: Petroleum (b. p. 35—50°) extracted 0'89 gram = 4'45 per coot. Ether ,, 0-25 „ 1-25 „ Chloroform ,, 0-22 ,, 1-10 „ Ethyl acetate ,, 1'30 „ 6'50 „ Alcohol ,, 3T8 „ 15-90 ,, Total = 5 '84 grams = 29 '20 per cent. For the purpose of a complete examination of the constituents of the leaves, 22'54 kilograms of the dried, ground material were extracted by continuous percolation with hot alcohol. After the removal of the greater part of the solvent, 11'5 kilograms of a viscid, dark green extract were obtained. Two kilograms of the above-mentioned extract were mixed with
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