508 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



considered a better substitute for animal fat than coconut or palm fat. The 

 fat when liquefied by heat and {illowe<l to cool at room temperature solidifies 

 only partly. The fully solidified fat, like palm and coconut fats, shows in its 

 surface and bottom a cellular iind honeycomb-like appearance. Its color is white 

 with a greenish hue and only when heated Is an odor perceptible. It has a nut- 

 like taste with a slight oily-soapy flavor. 



The physical and chemical properties are as follows: Polarization (20 gm. of 

 fat in chloroform to make 50 cc. in all) in a 200 mm. tube+0.0 circular degree 

 which corresponds to a si^ecific rotation (100 gm. fat in 100 cc. polarized in a 

 100 nun. tube) of +1.12; refraction at 40° C, 51.9 to 52.2; saponification num- 

 ber, 193.6 to 194; iodin number, 60.4 to 60.8; Reichert-Meissl number, 1.43 to 

 1.65; and Polenske (new butter) number, 0.4. 



No coloration was obtained with the Baudouin, Halphen, or Bellier test The 

 Soltsien reaction was negative. The unsaponifiable material of this fat po.ssesses 

 many characteristics not present in otlier plant fats, e.specially the presence of 

 an optically active substance. It was separated into an optically active 

 [a]D+34 substance, soluble in alcohol, and an inactive substance insoluble in 

 alcohol. 



Phytosterol could not be detected by either the Bonier or digitonin methods. 

 This was due to the fact that niowrah fat contains only a very small amount of 

 phytosterol. The unsaponifiable material present in mowrah fat, especially the 

 alcohol-soluble optically active substance, is recommended as a basis for its 

 detection in lard. 



The detection of coconut oil in butter by the Polenske distillation method 

 and the phytosterol acetate test of Bomer, C. Barthel and K. Sond£n (Ztschr. 

 Untersuch. Nahr. u. Gcnussmtl., 27 (^yi-}), No. 6, pp. J,.39-.'io3, figs. 2).— For 

 detecting added coconut fat in butter three tests can be employed, viz, the 

 Polenske number, the phytosterol acetate method (E. S. R., 16, p. IS), and the 

 refractometric reading. While the presence of coconut oil in butter will lower 

 the refractometric index of the mixture it sometimes occurs that such mix- 

 tures may still ha^-e a higher reading than some pure butters, and this makes 

 it necessary to supplement the refractometric test by another. On the other 

 hand, the Polenske figure of butter is increased by the addition of coconut fat. 

 In some cases an addition of 5 per cent of coconut fat may be detected by this 

 method, and 10 per cent can be detected with certainty. 



Butter obtained from cows fed on turnip leaves, coconut cake, peas, vetch, 

 or horse beans, when examined by the Polenske method gave figures indicating 

 the presence of an adulterant. When this is found to be the case the Bomer 

 phytosterol acetate test, which is not so easy to conduct as the other methods, 

 will have to be resorted to, and when vegetable fats are present in butter the 

 melting point of the acetate obtained will be higher. With it the presence of 

 added coconut fat in an amount of 10 per cent or over can be proved without 

 difficulty. 



Before testing for coconut fat in butter, Baudouin's test for sesame oil should 

 be made, as all Swedish margarins must contain an addition of seasame oil. 



The estimation of the water and fat content of butter with a new appa- 

 ratus, R. JuNGKUNz (Chan. Ztg., 3S (1914), Xo. 9, p. 91, fig. i).— A description 

 of the apparatus and the results obtained with it. The results are compared 

 with those given by the ordinary drying method in nickel dishes with and with- 

 out pumice. 



A simplified and inexpensive oxidase apparatus, H. H. Btjnzel (Jour. Biol. 

 CJicm., n (191J,). No. 3, pp. 409-^11. fig. 1). — .\ simplification of the apparatus 

 previously described (E. S. R., 27, p. 9). The apparatus described previously 



