^JoiS^i^r^    Stlldy  °f  Strophanthus  Kombe  Seeds.  579 
AX  EXPERIMENTAL  STUDY  OF  STROPHANTHUS 
KOMBE  SEEDS.1 
By  Karam  Samaan,  \I.Sc. 
Part  I. 
This  experimental  study  of  Strophanthus  Kombe  seeds  was 
carried  out  with  the  object  of  finding  out  (a)  The  activity  or  other- 
wise of  the  oil  present  in  the  seeds  ;  and  (  b )  the  existence  or  non- 
existence in  the  de-fatted  seeds  of  a  physiologically  active  body 
beside  the  water-soluble  strophanthin. 
A  special  feature  of  this  investigation  is  the  pains  which  were 
taken  to  ensure  absolute  purity  and  freedom  from  water  of  the 
solvents  used  and  the  thorough  drying  of  the  seeds.  The  various 
solvents  used — petroleum  ether,  ether,  ethyl  alcohol,  methyl  alcohol, 
amyl  alcohol,  and  chloroform — were  subjected,  in  the  laboratory,  to 
lengthy  purification  processes  and  thorough  drying. 
The  seeds  were  dried  in  an  oven — fitted  with  a  thermostat  and 
the  temperature  adjusted  at  40— 500  C. — for  four  successive  days  of 
eight  hours  each.  The  total  loss  of  weight  reckoned  as  moisture  was 
6.85  per  cent,  of  the  original  seeds. 
The  dried  seeds  were  de-fatted  by  means  of  purified  and  dried 
petroleum  ether  b.p.  50-70°  C.  The  amount  of  oil  isolated  was 
31.55  per  cent,  of  the  original  seeds.  This  oil  was  found  to  possess 
no  marked  physiological  action.  This  was  established  by  (a  )  inject- 
ing and  feeding  frogs  with  a  preparation  of  the  oil.  or  the  oil  itself ; 
and  (b)  perfusing  a  weak  emulsion  of  the  oil  through  the  frog's 
heart.  Great  care  was  also  taken  to  ensure  uniformity  of  condi- 
tions in  the  physiological  experiments  carried  out. 
It  was  noticed  that  on  shaking  the  oil  with  water  and  leaving  it 
for  a  time  a  yellowish  white  solid  body — probably  resinous  in 
nature — separated  from  the  oil.  The  layer  of  oil  became  less  viscid 
and  more  transparent  than  the  original  sample.  The  isolated  resin- 
like body  was  found  to  be  soluble  in  ether,  petroleum  ether,  alcohol, 
and  chloroform.  It  was  precipitated  from  alcoholic  and  ethereal 
solutions  by  excess  of  water  containing  1  per  cent,  hydrochloric  acid. 
Since  the  oil  before  separation  of  this  resin-like  body  was  found 
to  be  inactive,  no  attempt  was  made  to  examine  the  latter. 
1  Reprinted  from  The  Pharmaceutical  Journal  and  Pharmacist,  July  26, 
1919- 
