150 . REPORTS ON THE STATE OF RC lEXf'E. 



Mauritius.' It has the formula CjoHijO^N, and on hydrolysis by an 

 enzyme present in the beans, or with dilute acids, yields a molecule each 

 of prussic acid, acetone, and dextrose. 



C,„H,AN + H,0 = HON + CH,.CO.CH, + r„H,„0, 

 rimseoliinatiu. Prussic Acetone. Dextrose. 



acid. 



Alkalis hydrolyse it into phaseolunatinic acid and ammonia — 



C„.H„0,;N + 2n,0 - (',„H„0, + 2NH., 



Pliaseoluiiatin. l^hasenlunatinic acid. Ammonia, 



— the former breaking up on further hydrolysis by acids into one molecule, 

 each of hydroxyisobutyric acid and dextrose. 



yOll 



(•,„H,A -I- 11,0 = CH,.C-CH + C,H,,0, 



■ Phaseolunatinic acid. ITydroxy/sobutyric acid. ])extrose, 



The gluoosidolytic enzymes present in the beans of Phaspolua Ivnalvf^ 

 are of special interest. The mixture of enzyme.s, prepared from the beans 

 in the usual v/ay, contains at least two glucosidolytic enzyme.s — one of the 

 emulsin typo and the other of the maltase type ; and it is the latter whicli 

 attacks phaseolunatin. Examination of the dextro.se produced by tlie 

 hydrolysis of pliaseolunatin by the maltase-like enzyme present in the 

 lieans .shows that it is the a -i.someride, .so that phaseolunatin is an a- 

 glucoside, and m.iy thei-efore bo represented as the a-dextrose ether of 

 acetonecyanohydriu. 



/O — ■- C',;H„0, 

 CII.,.C— CH3 ; 

 \ 



CN 

 Acetonecyanohydrin : a-Dextroso 

 residue, residue. 



A paper dealing with the constitvition of the sugar residue of phaseo- 

 lunatin will shortly be communicated to the Royal Society. 



Phaseolunatin has been identified - with the lijiamarin first isolated by 

 Jorissen and Hairs from young flax plants,'' and it lias also been proved to 

 be the source of the prussic acid yielded by bitter cassava. ' It is probable, 

 also, that phaseolunatin, or a similar glucoside, is the source of the acetone 

 and prussic acid obtained from JJaviJiot (•'Ia:iorii (the Ceara rubber 

 plant) and from ITevea brasUienftin (the Para rubber plant) by N'^an 

 Romburgh,'' and also from Thalictrntn aqiiilegijolhtm, by Van Jtallie.'' 



Oynocardin. 



This glucoside was isolated by Power and Gornall '' from the oleaginous 

 seeds of Gynocardia ndornta, and was subsequently investigated by Power 

 and Lees.* It has been assigned the formula C|;tH,,,OgN, and is hydro 



' Dunstan and Henrj', Proc. Roy. Soc, 190,3, 72, 29,t>. 



- Dunstan, Henry, and Auld, Proe. Roy. Soc, 1906, B, 78, 14.'). 



» BidL Acad. Roy. Belg., 1891, iii. 21, 529. 



* Dunstan, Henry, and Auld, Proe. lioy. Soc, 190fi, B, 78, 1.52. 



» Ann. Jard. Bot. Bvit., 1899, ii. 16, 1. 



« Jonrti. Pharm. Chim., 190.5, vi.,22, 337. 



' Proe, Chm, S.oe„ 1904, 20, 137. » Joum. Chm. Soc, 1905, 87, 349. 



