The Chemical Constituents of Piper Methysticum: Or, The Chemical Constituents of the Active Principle of the Ava RootBall, Alice A.
Science
The Chemical Constituents of Piper Methysticum: Or, The Chemical Constituents of the Active Principle of the Ava Root
Ball, Alice A.
Kava plant
The material that was shaken out with ether after the saponification
consists of the unsaponifiable material and the alcohol radicals of the
acids produced by saponification.
On allowing the ether to evaporate from this material, feathery
needles separated. These were removed by means of a suction pump and
recrystallized from hot acetone. The melting point of this product was
122-125 degrees Centigrade. The precipitate was dissolved in benzol and
allowed to slowly crystallize. It formed long prismatic needles with
melting point of 130 degrees Centigrade. When heated with concentrated
sulphuric acid, a brown green fluorescent solution was produced.
The remaining material was steam distilled, and the distillate
extracted with ether to remove the oil. The ether was dried with
anhydrous sodium carbonate, the solution filtered and the ether removed
by distillation. The oil that remained was light yellow, specific
gravity less than that of water, and possessed a very characteristic
odor resembling that of musk. The material left after the steam
distillation was cooled and shaken out with ether. The ethereal
solution was dried with anhydrous sodium sulphate and the ether
removed by distillation. The resulting mass was a dark brown resin
without any characteristic odor, solidifying at zero degrees.
The crystalline product with a melting point of 130 degrees and the
essential oil are evidently the alcohols formed through saponification
of the resin esters. The crystalline product could be readily separated
from the resinous material because of its slight solubility in
acetone. Since this product was not precipitated when the unsaponified
resin esters were treated with acetone and because it did not make
its appearance until after the process of saponification, it is
quite probable it is a product of saponification. The essential oil
can be detected in extremely small amounts due to its penetrating
characteristic odor. Before the process of saponification it could not
be detected, but as soon as saponification took place the odor was very
marked. From this it is quite evident that this oil is a product of
saponification.
The dark brown resinous mass that remained may be either an alcoholic
resin formed through the hydrolysis of the ester resins or it may
be a resin belonging to the class known as resenes[11] which resist
saponification.
[11] Com. Organic Analysis. Allen Vol. II, 146.
_METHYSTICIN AND METHYSTICINIC ACID._
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