Du Mez—The Galenical Oleoresins. 
1125 
identify. Schimmel and Company 8 have reported the presence 
of phellandrene and cadinene. 
From 0.70 to 2.2 per cent, of volatile oil has been obtained 
from the fruits by steam distillation. 9 
Piperine. 10 Piperine (C 17 H 19 N0 3 ) was first isolated by 
Oersted in 1819. 11 It is a weak base crystallizing from alcohol 
in colorless, shining, four sided prisms, the melting point of 
which is 128 to 129 °C. It is slightly soluble in boiling water, 
readily soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzene and volatile 
oils, slightly soluble in petroleum ether. When acted upon by 
solutions of the alkalies, it is hydrolyzed breaking down into 
piperidine and piperic acid. Its constitution is represented 
by the following structural formula: 12 
The quantity of piperine present in the fruit of black pepper 
as obtained on the market varies to a considerable extent. This 
variation is very probably due in greater part to natural causes, 
such as the age of the fruit before harvesting, climatic condi¬ 
tions under which grown, et cetera. 13. The yield is variously 
stated as being from 4.05 to 13.02 per cent. 14 
8 1. c. . 
9 A yield of 0-7 to 1.69 per cert, of volatile oil is reported by C. H. Rich¬ 
ardson l. c. W. Johnstone obtained 0.98 to 1.87 per cent. Analyst (1889), 
14, p. 41. G. Teyxeira and B. Ferrucio give the yield as 1.4 per cent. Bull. 
Chim. Fharm. (1900), 38, p. 534; Chem. Centralb. (1900), 71, p. 736. Schim¬ 
mel & Co. (1. c.) report the yield as 1.3 to 2.2 per cent. 
10 Rochleder, Ann. d. Chem. (1845), 54, p. 255; Babo and Keller, Journ. f. 
prakt. Chem. (1857), 72, p. 53 ; Rugheimer, Ber. d. deutsch. chem. Ges. 
„ (1882), 15, p. 1390. 
11 Schweitz. Med. Journ. (1819), 29, p. 80; Buchner, Repert. f. die Pharm. 
(1820), 10, p. 127. 
12 Ladenburg and Scholtz, Ber. d. deutsch. chem. Ges. (1894), 27, p. 2958. 
13 Caseneuve and Caillot report the piperine content to be as follows: 
Sumatra. 8.10 per cent; Singapore, 9.15 per cent; Penang, 5.24 per cent. 1. c. 
G. Graff gives the following percentages of ether soluble nitrogenous matter 
as piperine: Java, 5.85 to 9.5 per cent.; Lampong, 5.13 to 7.09 per cent.; 
Penang, 9.12 to 9.42 per cent. ; Saigon, 6.16 per cent.; Singapore, 11.08 per 
cent. Zeitschr. f. offentl. Chem. (1908), 14, p. 425. 
14 W. Johnstone obtained 5.21 to 13.03 per cent of piperine from nine 
samples of black pepper, l. c. 
C. Heisch gives the yield as 4.05 to 9.38 per cent. Analyst (1886), 11. 
p. 186. 
F. Stevenson reports the presence of 7.14 per cent, or piperine. Ibid. 12, 
p. 144. 
