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NARANG,K. K., and J. K. GUPTA(I976) J. Inorg. Nucl. amine tetraacetic acid. D. van Nostrand Company Inc.,
Chem. 3 8, 589; Ibidem (I977) Transition Met. Chem. 2, New York, r49.
I8L VAMASmTA,S., Y. SEVAMAand N. ISnlrAWA(I978) Expe-
SAWlCKI,C. a., and F. P. SCARINGELLI(I97t) Microchem. J. rientia 34,472.
r6, 657.
TURCZAN, J., and T. MEDWXCK(I972) J. Pharm. Sci. 6z, 434. Received July i98o
WELCHER, V. J. (I958) The analytical uses of ethylenedi- Accepted for publication July I980.
Under this heading abstracts will be published of doctoral dissertations that are of interest for the pharmaceutical sciences
and are submitted to Dutch universities, or to foreign universities by Dutch pharmacists. Abstracts should be submitted by
invitation only.
~Department of Pharmacognosy, Gorlaeus Laboratories, University of Leiden, P. O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The
Netherlands.
chapters 4 (Leyland cypress) and 5 (Savin juni- their oil quickly, thus preventing the formation
per) special reference is given to the acidity of of artefacts.
the distillation water during isolation of the
compounds. Acid catalysis generated appreci- CONCLUSION
able amounts of terpinen-4-ol, ct- and y-terpi- The superficial oils of the Labiatae are well-re-
nene and terpinolene at the expense of sabinene covered by distillation because time-consuming
and its hydrates. The solvent extract of diffusion is ruled out. However, if diffusion is
Leyland cypress (chapter 4) contained some the rate determining factor during distillation
genuine sesquiterpene hydrocarbons which (as is the case with umbelliferous seeds and
could not be recovered by distillation. coniferous leaves), then solvent extraction has
Part lal (chapter 6) is concerned with the vol- to be preferred. This procedure eliminates dif-
atile leaf oils of two species of the Labiatae, viz. ferences in-distillation rate of compounds (as a
rosemary and sage. The experiments revealed result of diffusion) as well as rearrangements
that the oils distill almost quantitatively within i due to the acidity of the distillation water. It also
hour. The acidity of the distillation water is of avoids crystallization of high-melting com-
minor importance. Only at extreme pH values pounds in the condenser. In general it may be
(2-3) small effects on some constituents could stated that solvent extraction is superior to the
be noticed. These results are explained by the distillation method as it gives a more reliable
fact that the epidermal glands burst upon con- picture of the composition of essential oils as
tact with the (acidic) boiling water and give off present in plant material.