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 resinous product consists of about five percent of free resinous
acids, which acids can be separated into three different acids or
groups of acids according to their solubility in the different
alkalies. The remaining resinous product is composed of ester resins.
On hydrolysis these esters yield three distinct acids, two resinous
acids and methysticinic acid. The two resinous acids are distinctly
different, both in physical properties and in chemical properties. They
can be sharply separated by means of the difference in solubility of
their barium and iron salts. These acids may be separate individual
substances, or a group of related substances. The barium and iron acids
although different chemically, have some groups in common as shown by
the formation of a common oxidation product. There are at least three
alcohol radicals formed through hydrolysis, a resinous alcohol radical,
a crystalline substance with a melting point of 130 degrees, and a
volatile oil.
The physiological action of the Ava is due to the ester resins. The two
resinous acids formed through the hydrolysis of these esters seem to be
the two active constituents of the resin ester.
From the above outlined work it appears that the ava root does not
contain any alkaloidal substance, as none of the constituents were
found to contain nitrogen.
That the aqueous infusion used by the ava drinkers contains the same
constituents as are extracted by the ether is shown by the following.
An infusion of the ava was made by allowing some of the powdered drug
to remain in contact with water for about twelve hours. The infusion
was then filtered and the filtrate extracted with ether. A resinous
mass remained which from all appearances was identical with the resins
obtained from the ether extract. It also gave the same action when
placed on the tongue as was produced by the resins from the ether
extract.
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