82 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVI, No. a 
In Table III the percentage composition of the saturated acid fraction 
is given in column 2, the percentages of saturated acids in the original 
oil in column 3, and the equivalent percentages of glycerids in column 4. 
THE UNSAPONIFIABLE CONSTITUENTS OF THE OIL: ISOLATION OF A 
PHYTOSTEROL 
The unsaturated acids separated from the oil contained the unsaponi- 
fiable constituents, and this material was submitted to Dr. Frederick B. 
Power, in charge of the Phytochemical Laboratory of the Bureau of 
Chemistry, for further investigation. 
The method of procedure for this purpose consisted in combining the 
acids with potassium hydroxid, adding to the alkaline mixture a quan¬ 
tity of clean sea sand, and evaporating on a steam bath until a perfectly 
dry homogeneous product was obtained. This was extracted in a 
Soxhlet apparatus with light petroleum (b. p. 32-70° C.), which removed 
a small quantity (1.59 gm.) of somewhat impure crystalline material. 
After crystallization from warm alcohol the substance was obtained in 
the form of handsome colorless needles, melting at 134-135 0 C., which 
gave the characteristic color reactions of the phytosterols. A portion of 
the substance was treated with acetic anhydrid, when an acetyl deriva¬ 
tive was obtained. The latter, when crystallized from warm alcohol, 
separated in fine, colorless needles, melting at 122-123 0 . 
SUMMARY 
The chemical composition of crude chufa oil has been determined with 
the following results: 
Glycerid of myristic acid, trace. 
Glycerid of palmitic acid, 11.8 per cent. 
Glycerid of stearic acid, 5.2 per cent. 
Glycerid of arachidic acid, 0.5 per cent. 
Glycerid of lignoceric acid, 0.3 per cent. 
Glycerid of oleic acid, 73.3 per cent. 
Glycerid of linolic acid, 5.9 per cent. 
Nonfatty material (by difference), 3.0 per cent. 
A phytosterol (m. p. 134-135 0 C.) was isolated from the unsapomfiable 
material. 
LITERATURE CITED 
(1) Baughman, Walter F., Brauns, Dirk, and Jamieson, George S. 
1920. cantaloup SEED oil. In Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc., v. 42, p. 2398-2401. 
(2}- and Jamieson, George S. T T . 
1920. THE composition op hubbard squash seed oil. In Jour. Amer. chem. 
Soc., v. 42, p. 152-157. 
( 3 ) 
1922. separation and determination of saturated and unstaturated 
FATTY ACIDS BY MEANS OF THE LEAD SALT-ETHER METHOD. In Cotton 
Oil Press, v. 6, no. 1, p. 41-42. 
(4) Hell, Carl, and TwErdomedoff, S. 
1889. ueber das fette oel von cyperus esculEntus. In Ber. Dent. Chem. 
Gesell., Jahrg. 22, p. 1742-1745. 
(s) Jamieson, George S., and Baughman, Walter F. 
1920. THE chemical composition of cottonseed oil. In Jour. Atner. Ghetn. 
Soc., v. 42, p. 1197-1204. 
(6) LEwkowitsch, J. _ ^. 
1921. chemical technology and analysis of oils, fats and waxes. na. o. 
v. 1. London. 
(7) Luna, Ramon Torres Munoz y. 
1851. mSmoire sur la nature chimique de la chufa (souchet comestible). 
In Jour. Pharm. et Chim., ser. 3, t. 19, p. 336-346. 
