Du Mez—The Galenical Oleoresins. 
985 
Chemistry of the Drug and Oleoresin. 
Tabulation of Constituents . 
A survey of the voluminous literature 1 pertaining to the 
chemistry of the male fern rhizome shows the constituents of 
pharmaceutical interest to be as follows: volatile oil, fatty oil, 
filix acid, albaspidin, flavaspidic acid, aspidinol, flavaspidinin 
(phloraspin), filmaron, filixnigrin, chlorophyll, filix tannic acid, 
wax, sugar, starch and inorganic constituents. Of these sub¬ 
stances, the following have been identified in the oleoresin ob¬ 
tained by extracting the drug with ether: 
Volatile oil 2 
Fatty oil 3 . 
Filix acid 4 
Albaspidin 5 
Flavaspidic acid 
Aspidinol 6 .... 
Flavaspidinin 5 . 
Filmaron 5 . 
0.40 
to 
0.45 
per 
cent 
70.00 
to 
75.00 
c i 
4 4 
5.75 
to 
12.48 
4 c 
4 4 
Av. 
0.05 
4 4 
4 4 
< ( 
2.50 
4 4 
4 4 
11 
0,10 
4 4 
4 4 
c i 
0.10 
4 4 
4 4 
l c 
5.00 
4 4 
4 4 
1 The following have reported more or less complete analyses of the male 
fern rhizome or of the ethereal extract: Gebhardt, cited by Geiger, Mag. f. 
Pharm. (1824), 7, p. 38; Morin, Journ. de Pharm. et de Chim. (1824), 10, 
p. 223; Buchner, Rep. f. d. Pharm. (1827), 27, p. 337; Batso, Trommsdorff’s 
n. Journ. d. Pharm. (1827), 14, p. 294; Peschier, Ibid. (1828), 17, p. 9; 
Luck, Jahrb. f. prakt. Pharm. (1851), 14, p. 129; Bock, Arch. d. Pharm. 
(1851), 115, p. 257; Kruse, Ibid (1876), 209, p. 24; Daccomo, Annali di 
Chim et Farmak. (1887), 87, p. 69; Boehm, Arch. f. Exp. Path. u. Pharmak. 
(1896), 38, p. 35; Kraft, Schweiz. Wochenschr. f. Chem. u. Pharm. (1902), 
40, p. 322. 
2 The percentage of volatile oil as given above has been computed on the 
basis of an average yield of 10 pr cent, of oleoresin. 
3 The quantity of fatty oil present in the oleoresin has been shown to vary 
with the strength of the ether employed in extracting the drug and with 
the degree to which the latter has been exhausted. These factors, however, 
are not sufficient to explain the large variation in oil content as found by 
various investigators. The variation is more probably due to the different 
methods employed in its estimation. Thus, Bock reports the presence of 
42 per cent of fatty oil. Arch. d. Pharm. (1851), 115, p. 266; Kremel esti¬ 
mates it at 40 to 45 per cent, Pharm. Post d. Pharm. (1887), 20, p. 525; 
Wollenweber at 70 to 75 per cent, Arch. d. Pharm. (1906), 244. p. 467. 
4 There is a very considerable difference in the filix acid content of the 
oleoresin as reported in the literature. This is due, principally, to the nat¬ 
ural variation in the filix acid content of the drug and to the different 
methods employed in its estimation. The limits as given above are those 
obtained by the method of Fromme and represent the percentage occuring 
in the oleoresin prepared from the better rhizomes. Under these conditiops, 
Madsen found 5.8 to 12.1 per cent. Arch. f. Pharm. og. Chem. (1897), 54, 
p. 269; Gehe & Co., 5.78 to 11.32 per cent, Handels-Ber. (1897), p. 60; 
Bellingrodt, 5.75 to 10.75 per cent, Apoth. Ztg. (1898), 13, p. 869; Caesar 
and Loretz, 8.65 to 12.48 per cent, Geschaefts-Ber. (1901), p. 68. 
