GB702072A - Improvements in or relating to the production of hecogenin from plant material - Google Patents

Abstract

In the production of hecogenin, a material of the class of steroidal sapogenins and of possible use in the preparation of hormones, leaves or other material of the plant Agave Sisalana or related plants, e.g. sisal waste obtained after the extraction of the fibre, which may first be defatted by percolation with light petroleum, ether &c., is extracted with hot or cold alcohol, e.g. methyl or ethyl alcohol containing 0-50 per cent. water, a mineral acid is added to the extract to give a concentration of 1-2M, the mixture is refluxed, alcohol is removed, suitably by steam distillation, and an aqueous suspension produced, precipitated solids are separated and saponified by heating with alcoholic caustic alkali, alcohol is removed suitably by steam distillation, and hecogenin is recovered from the aqueous suspension. Recovery is suitably effected by treating the suspension with an adsorbent such as charcoal, extracting the latter with ether, carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethylene, benzene, ethyl acetate &c. and crystallizing the hecogenin from the solution. Residual material in the mother liquor is recovered by further fractional crystallization or by chromatography, e.g. on alumina.ALSO:In the production of hecogenin, a material of the class of steroidal sapogenins and of possible use in the preparation of hormones, leaves or other material of the plant Agave Sisalana or related plants, e.g. sisal waste obtained after the extraction of the fibre, which may first be defatted by percolation with light petroleum, ether, &c. is extracted with hot or cold alcohol, e.g. methyl or ethyl alcohol containing 0-50 per cent water, a mineral acid is added to the extract to give a concentration of 1-2M, the mixture is refluxed, alcohol is removed, suitably by steam distillation, and an aqueous suspension produced, precipitated solids are separated and saponified by heating with alcoholic caustic alkali, alcohol is removed suitably by steam distillation, and hecogenin is recovered from the aqueous suspension. Recovery is suitable effected by treating the suspension with an adsorbent such as charcoal, extracting the latter with ether, carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethylene, benzene, ethyl acetate &c. and crystallizing the hecogenin from the solution. Residual material in the mother liquor is recovered by further fractional crystallization or by chromatography, e.g. on alumina.