150 
as the sodium salt. We used 45 g of bixin 0:39 & of potassium 
and 150 em of alcohol of 70°/,. It erystallizes in very thin needles 
grouped to stars, whieh possess a dark copper red colour. 
0.2463 g. subst. gave 0.0433 g K,SO, 
found theory Cos Hz; O0, K 
OM TT) Ten. 
Bixin contains a methoxyl group. 
This fact has been diseovered by Zwick. We repeated the ne- 
cessary experiments and are in the position to confirm his result. 
The methoxyl determination was carried out according to the well 
known method of Zeisel. 
0:3750 g gave 02000 g Agl 
found theory C,; H:, O, (OCH,) 
OCH, TON 62087 
Alkylation of bixin. 
In view of the pronounced acid character of bixin we hoped 
to be able to introduce alkyl groups into its molecule but found, 
that although alkylating reagents do react with the substance it 
was impossible to isolate well defined bodies in a erystalline state. 
We heated for instance 4 g of the sodium salt of bixin with 
40 g of freshly distilled bimethylsulfate on the water bath. The 
dark violet-green colour of the solution turned after 1/, hours 
heating to dark green and afterwards to olive-brown. After 2 hours 
the solution was poured into 50 cem of water and the resinous 
substance produced solidified after 24 hours. After filtering and 
washing with water we dryed it at 1100. The substance possesses 
an olive brown colour, is easily soluble in chloroform, less in al- 
cohol, difficultly soluble in benzene and ether. Sulphurie acid takes 
it up with a dark violet colour which turns after some time violet 
brown. As all attempts to crystallize this product were unsueces- 
ful we extracted a portion with chloroform, evaporated the solution 
and analyzed the amorphous, lustrous mass obtained. The appended 
analysis will show that an alkylation process evidently took place 
and that the percentage of OCH, found corresponds to the value 
required by methylbixin: 
1) 02346 g gave 0:2315 g Agl 
2)MOIADE AMOR 
