Chemical examination of elaterium and the characters of elaterin / by Frederick B. Power and Charles W. Moore.

  • Frederick Belding Power
Date:
[1909?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical examination of elaterium and the characters of elaterin / by Frederick B. Power and Charles W. Moore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    grammes. This was extracted repeatedly in a Soxhlet apparatus, first with boiling chloroform and then with hot alcohol, when a portion of the material (9 grammes) remained undissolved in the form of a brown, amorphous powder. The latter, when heated with caustic alkali, developed ammonia. It, therefore, appeared to contain some protein products, and inorganic salts were also present. When administered to a dog, in doses of 0'5 gramme, it was found to be quite inert. The above-mentioned chloroform and alcohol extracts were united, mixed with purified sawdust, and the thoroughly dried mixture extracted successively in a Soxhlet apparatus with I. light petroleum (b.p. 35-50°) ; II. ether ; III. chloro¬ form ; and IV. alcohol. I. Petroleum Extract. The extraction with petroleum wtas continued for about forty hours. This resulted in the removal of 1'8 grammes of material, of which 0‘8 gramme was readily soluble in light petroleum, while the remainder (TO gramme) was sparingly soluble in that liquid. The readily-soluble extract was a soft, green mass. The greater portion of it (0'6 gramme) was boiled for some hours with 5 C.c. of an alcoholic solution of potassium hydroxide, the alcohol then removed, and water added, when a small quantity of amorphous material separated. This was re¬ moved by shaking with ether, when, on evaporating the solvent, a very small amount of a colourless substance was obtained. The latter yielded the colour reactions of the phytosterols, but the amount available was much too small to permit of its further investigation. The alkaline liquid, from which the unsaponifiable material had been removed by ether, as above described, was acidified and again extracted with ether, the ethereal liquid being washed, dried, and the solvent removed. A small quantity (0'3 gramme) of fatty acids was thus obtained, which was distilled under diminished pressure. The distillate, when cold, became partially solid, and apparently consisted of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The sparingly-soluble extract formed a pale green powder. This was treated with ether (2-3 C.c.), when most of d dissolved, but from the solution nothing crystalline could be obtained. The undissolved 'portion (0'3 gramme) could be crystallised from dilute alcohol, from which it separated in
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