UMBELLIFEE^ (^3317)
Specific gravity 0'8467
Optical rotation + 69° 18'
Acid number .......... 0
Ester value 14-7
„ „ (after acetylation) 2O9
The green herb yields '1 per cent, of an oil of the following char-
acters :—
Specific gravity 0-848 to 0-880
Optical rotation + 41° „ + 60°
Refractive index 1*4780 „ 1-4810
Ester value 25 „ 50
„ „ (after acetylation) 30 „ 60
Although it has not been thoroughly examined, it is probable that
its constituents closely resemble those of the seed oil. The oil is
soluble in 10 parts of 90 per cent, alcohol.
OIL OF PARSLEY.
All parts of the common parsley, Petroselinum sativum, yield an
essential oil, of which that from the green herb itself is most esteemed,
although that from the seed is the commoner oil. The yield from the
seeds is from 2 to 6 per cent.
The oil has the following characters :—
Specific gravity1-040t
Optical rotation-4°30'
Refractive index1-512
Acid value2„6
Ester „.1„8
„ „ (after acetylation) 4
1-040 to 1-101
. - 4° 30' to - 10°
1-512 to 1-525
2 „ 6
1 „ 8
4 „ 20
It is soluble in 8 volumes of 80 per cent, alcohol, sometimes with
turbidity.
Pinene and apiol are present in the oil. Allyl-tetramethoxybenzene
and one or more unidentified phenol ethers are also present in small
amount, as well as traces of palmitic acid, ketones, and aldehydes.
Myristicin has been identified.
If the oil contains more than a certain quantity of the latter body it
is semi-solid at ordinary temperatures, whilst in any case crystals are
deposited on exposure to cold. German oil is rich in apiol, but French
oil contains very little. Apiol is prepared from the oil either as a thick
liquid, or in the purer crystalline condition, and is used to some extent
in medicine.
The oils from the rootl and from the whole herb^2 have also been
examined and found to have the following characters:—
Specific gravity.
Optical rotation
Refractive index
Acid value.
Ester „.
,, „ (after acetylation)Root Oil.
1-049 to 1-012
+ 1° 24'
——
Herb
0-9023 to
+ 1° 16' „
1-5090 „
0 „
5 „
19 „Oil
1-0157
- 4° 10
1*5250
1
14
68
The oil distilled from the herb in flower is similar to the ordinary
herb oil, but is slightly laevo-rotatory.
(^1) Schimmel's Bericht, April, 1894, 55. 2
Ibid., October, 1895, 59.