534 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



1913 



brought out in the above table is the fact that the brown rhizomes 

 yield an extract richer in filicin than the green. The higher 

 filicin content of the brown rhizomes can probably be attributed 

 to the breaking down of glucosidal bodies ^^ with the liberation 

 of acids, or it may be due to a slight variation in the filicin con- 

 tent of the rhizomes themselves, (See previous discussion under 

 adulteration with oils.) 



The influence of the solvent used in the preparation of the 

 extract upon its physical and chemical properties is set forth in 

 Tables VII, VIII, and IX. In contrast with the ether prepara- 

 tion, it was noticed that the acetone extract separated into two 

 layers, an upper oily layer having a brownish green color and a 

 lower layer which was nearly brown and thicker than that above. 

 Both of the extracts were prepared from the rhizomes having 

 an internal green color. The two extracts can be distinguished 

 by their color, specific gravity, refractive index, and solubility. 



The low percentage of filicin in the acetone extract is due to 

 the greater yield of extractive matter when acetone is used as a 

 solvent and not to the incomplete extraction of the acid bodies 

 as might be inferred from the table. Ether yields an extract 

 amounting to 8.325 per cent of the drug while acetone produced 

 14.690 per cent. 



Table VII. 



Extract. 



Color. 



Specific 



gravity, 



25°. 



Refractive , 

 index, 15'='. 



Ether 



Yellowish green 



1.0008 

 1.0480 



1.500 

 too dark 



Acetone 



Brownish green 







Table VIII. 



Solubility in— 



Ether. 



Acetone. 



Two volumes of 

 petrolevun ether. 



Three volumes of 

 90 per cent alcohol. 



1 



One volume of gla- 

 cial acetic acid. 



Soluble 



Partially soluble- _ 



Partially soluble.. 

 Soluble. __ 



Mixes 



Partially soluble.. 



Oil separates 



do 



Oil separates. 

 Do. 







'' Penndorff attributes the turning brown of the green rhizomes to the 

 breaking down of the "filix tannic" acid into "filix red" and sugar. Loc. cit. 



