New Yoek Agricultural Experiment Station. 347 



reagent. The final product was a white, amorphous powder. We 

 succeeded in separating this substance into two portions, one a 

 crystalline salt showing all the characteristics and composition of 

 unchanged barium phytate and a second amorphous portion which, 

 judging by analysis, was probably a mixture of the barium salts 

 of inosite penta- and tetra-phosphate. 



Since no inosite could be isolated from this preparation, although 

 it had been standing for 18 months and had undergone con- 

 siderable decomposition, it would seem that a very long time 

 would be required for complete decomposition, i. e., until free inosite 

 were present. On drying a sample of the same acid at 105° for 

 48 hours under diminished pressure, however, the decomposition 

 products isolated were found to be quite different. In this case 

 we found that about 75 per ct. of the phosphorus was present as 

 inorganic phosphoric acid and we were unable to isolate any 

 unchanged barium phytate. Apparently all of the phytic acid 

 had been partially decomposed and some of it completely, for we 

 obtained 0.25 gram of inosite from 10 grams of the acid after 

 drying as above. The organic phosphoric acid or acids remaining 

 undecomposed were isolated as barium salts. None of these, how- 

 ever, could be obtained in pure form. But by taking advantage of 

 their varying solubilities in water and mixtures of acidulated water 

 and alcohol we were able to separate it into four fractions. All 

 of these fractions had different composition and it would appear 

 probable that they represent more or less impure mixtures of the 

 barium salts, of tetra-, tri-, di-, and mono-phosphoric acid esters 

 of inosite. 



When phytic acid has been completely dried at temperatures 

 ranging from 60° to 105° we have noticed that it is not completely 

 soluble in water. Some insoluble substance separates in thin 

 gelatinous plates. We have not been able to obtain a sufficient 

 quantity of this substance for a complete examination. Judging 

 by the analysis of one small sample it is a complex decomposition 

 product of phytic acid, possibly a partially dehydrated tri-phos- 

 phoric acid ester of inosite. 



EXPERIMENTAL PART. 

 PREPARATION OF THE CRYSTALLIZED BARIUM PHYTATE. 



A sample of the same commercial phytin as formerly examined 

 was transformed into the barium salt as follows: 50 grams of the 

 substance were suspended in about 1500 cubic centimeters of water 

 and dissolved by the careful addition of dilute hydrochloric acid. 

 Barium hydroxide was then added to slight alkaline reaction and the 

 whole allowed to stand over night. The barium hydroxide used was 

 Kahlbaum C. P. which had been recrystallized. The precipitate 



