Scientific and other notes on essential oils. 



Scientific and other Notes on Essential Oils. 



Almond Oil, bitter. Not overmuch is yet known about the structure of 

 amygdalin, the parent substance of volatile oil of bitter almonds. According to A. Bau's 1 ) 

 investigations, it does not contain any maltose, but a sugar Ci 2 H 22 0ii which consists 

 of 2 glucose components. He tested Saaz-yeast and Saccharomyces Ludwigii, Hansen 

 on their behavior towards amygdalin. The fermenting experiments led to the result 

 that amygdalase was present in the Saaz-yeast, but emulsin was totally absent. This 

 may possibly explain why Saaz-yeast ferments amygdalin in a lesser degree than 

 Saccharomyces Ludivigii which contains both amygdalase and emulsin. It does not 

 contain any maltase, as it has no fermenting effect on maltose. As it, however, splits 

 up amygdalin, one is driven to the conclusion that the sugar contained in amygdalin 

 is not maltose, as mentioned above. 



The fact that benzaldehydcyanohydrin belongs to the components of oil of bitter 

 almonds which has not been deprived of its prussic acid induces us to draw the 

 attention of the reader to a publication by K. Hess and K. Dorner 2 ) on the alkyl ethers 

 of this compound, of which the first part was issued some time ago. 



In order to obtain the alkylated esters of benzaldehydcyanohydrin, the following 

 means were adopted: — 



1. Direct alkylation of the benzaldehydcyanohydrin. 



2. In analogy with Favre's method for making chlormethylalkyl ethers which he 

 specially worked out for formaldehyde: — 



CH 2 + ROH + HCl = CH 2 C1(0R) + H 2 

 the following process of formation from benzaldehyde, hydrochloric acid and the 

 corresponding alcohol would seem to be possible: — 



C 6 H 5 CHO + HCl + ROH — > C 6 H 5 -CH(C1)(0R) ^ C 6 H 5 -CH(CN)(OR). 



3. Starting from phenylchloracetic acid this might be transformed by means of 

 sodium alcoholates into alkylated mandelic acids, the carboxyl group substituted by 

 the carbamide group and finally the following type obtained by dehydration: — 



C 6 H 5 -CH(Cl)COOH — * C 6 H 5 CH(OR)COOH 



— > C 6 H 5 -CH(OR)-CO-NH 2 — > C 6 H 5 -CH(OR)(CN). 



Of these 3 methods the authors found the last to be the most suitable and 

 according to this process they prepared the methyl and ethyl derivatives of benz- 

 aldehydecyanohydrine. 



The O-methylmandelic nitrile (a-methoxyphenylacetonitrile) is a mobile, refractive 

 and very stable oil with a rather pleasant smell, reminding of benzaldehyde, which, 

 however, becomes rather pungent when its vapour is concentrated. Boiling-point 

 116 to 118° (14 mm.). When heated with dilute sulphuric acid it is saponified into 

 the methoxy acid. 



The O-ethylmandelic nitrile (a-ethoxyphenylacetonitrile) boils between 122 and 124° 

 (16 mm.) and is a viscid, transparent, stable oil with rather an aromatic odour. 



!) Perfum. Record 7 (1916), 303. — 2 ) Berl. Berichte 50 (1917), 390. 



