THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
MARCH,  1880. 
NOTE  ON  THE  FRUIT  OF  ADANSONIA  DIGITATA. 
By  F.  L.  Slocum. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  February  17. 
A  short  notice  of  the  so-called  ''cream  of  tartar  fruit"  is  contained 
in  the  "Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,"  1877,  P-  ^54,  and  it  is  there  stated  to 
be  probably  distinct  from  the  fruit  of  the  baobab,  Adansonia  digitata. 
Opportunity  was  afforded  by  Prof.  Maisch  to  examine  some  of  the  pulp 
covering  the  seeds  of  the  latter.  When  examined  under  the  micro- 
scope, the  dry  pulp  is  seen  to  be  destitute  of  crystalline  structure.  It 
readily  falls  to  a  yellowish-white  powder,  and  has  a  pleasant  acidulous 
taste.  The  pulp  of  the  cream  of  tartar  fruit  is  of  a  darker  color  and 
more  acid  taste.  The  pulp  is  soluble  in  hot  or  cold  water,  and  the 
solution  has  an  acid  reaction. 
Examined  for  bases,  potassium  was  found,  and  probably  traces  of 
calcium  and  phosphates,  the  two  latter  requiring  confirmation,  which, 
for  want  of  time,  had  to  be  postponed  for  the  present. 
The  examination  for  acids  resulted  in  proving  the  presence  of  malic 
acid  only,  combined  as  an  acid  malate  of  potassium. 
The  aqueous  solution,  agitated  with  six  volumes  of  strong  alcohol, 
gives  a  copious  precipitate  of  pectin^  which  forms  the  largest  part  of 
the  pulp.  The  pectin,  when  dissolved  in  strong  hot  hydrochloric  acid, 
yields  a  bright  Magenta-colored  solution. 
Distilling  the  aqueous  solution  with  water,  ether  and  alcohol,  gave 
no  volatile  compounds. 
The  concentrated  aqueous  solution  left  in  the  still  had,  in  each  case, 
a  dark  brown  color,  and  deposited  a  white  amorphous  powder.  On 
agitating  this  residue  with  ether,  it  was  dissolved;  on  evaporation  of  the 
ether,  it  either  separates  as  white,  silky  needles,  or  as  a  white  amorphous 
mass. 
After  the  removal  of  pectin  and  after  the  evaporation  of  the  alco- 
hol, the  remaining  solution  yields,  with  alkaline  solution  of  copper, 
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