34fi Report of the Department of Chemistry of the 



which we had on hand. From a sample of commercial phytin 

 which had been in our laboratory for several years we could not 

 isolate a trace of inosite either before or after drying at 115°. At 

 that time we made no effort to determine the increase in inorganic 

 phosphate on drying at 100° or higher. 



Observations made since then, however, have shown without 

 any doubt that phytin undergoes spontaneous decomposition when 

 kept under ordinary conditions at room temperature. Both the 

 salts and the free acid decompose slowly, with liberation of inorganic 

 phosphate. The free acid decomposes much faster than the salts. 

 We have also found that a very perceptible increase in inorganic 

 phosphate occurs on drying at 105° in vacuum. In this case also 

 the free acid decomposes to a greater extent than the salts. 



Although notable quantities of inorganic phosphoric acid are 

 liberated from phytic acid and its salts under the above conditions, 

 we have again been unable to demonstrate the presence of inosite 

 as one of the spontaneous decomposition products. In this con- 

 nection we especially examined a specimen of phytic acid which 

 had been kept in the laboratory for about 18 months. The prepara- 

 tion had been kept in a glass-stoppered bottle at ordinary tempera- 

 ture but at no time had it been exposed to direct sunlight. When 

 first prepared the acid was a practically colorless, thick syrup con- 

 taining about 20 per ct. of water and it gave no reaction with 

 ammonium molybdate. It darkened gradually in color and when 

 examined the color was quite black. Analysis showed that about 

 one-eighth of the total phosphorus was present in the form of inor- 

 ganic phosphoric acid. A quantity of this preparation corresponding 

 to 10 grams of the dry acid was examined for inosite but no trace 

 of this substance could be found although the preparation should 

 have contained about 0.3 gram of inosite had the organic radical 

 corresponding to the free inorganic phosphoric acid present separated 

 in the form of inosite. 



Since the organic part of the phytic acid radical had not separated 

 as inosite under the above conditions of spontaneous decomposition 

 it appeared of interest to determine, if possible, what product or 

 products had been formed and in what manner the decomposition 

 had occurred. While we are unable to answer these questions 

 fully at this time, the results would indicate that, under the above 

 conditions, the phytic acid undergoes only partial decomposition 

 with formation of penta- or tetra-phosphoric acid esters of inosite 

 and free phosphoric acid. 



The aqueous solution of the above partially decomposed phytic 

 acid was precipitated with barium hydroxide. The barium pre- 

 cipitate was freed from inorganic phosphate in our usual way, i. e. 

 by precipitating its dilute hydrochloric acid solution with alcohol 

 until the product gave no reaction with the ammonium molybdate 



