Morinda longiflora.(CHAPTER I. The Anthraquinone Group.)

The Natural Organic Colouring Matters
By
Arthur George Perkin, F.R.S., F.R.S.E., F.I.C., professor of colour chemistry and dyeing in the University of Leeds
and
Arthur Ernest Everest, D.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.C., of the Wilton Research Laboratories; Late head of the Department of Coal-tar Colour Chemistry; Technical College, Huddersfield
Longmans, Green and Co.
39 Paternoster Row, London
Fourth Avenue & 30th Street, New York
Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
1918

Kaikki kuvat (kemialliset kaavat) puuttuvat // None of the illustrations (of chemical formulas) included.

Morinda longiflora, known as "Ojuologbo" (woody vine) (Jour. Soc. of Arts, 1905, 53, 1069), is a native of West Africa, and considered to be one of the most valuable medicinal plants of that region. It is fully described in the "Flora of Tropical Africa" (1877, in, 192), where it is stated to be known under the native name of "Mibogga".

According to Barrowcliff and Tutin (Chem. Soc. Trans., 1907, 91, 1909) the root of the Morinda longiflora (G. Don) contains an hydroxymethoxymethylanthraquinone and an alizarin-monomethyl ether, although morindin, the common constituent of the roots of the Morinda citrifolia, Morinda tinctoria and Morinda umbellata, is absent. The hydroxymethoxymethylanthraquinone, C₁₆H₁₂O₄, yellow needles, melts at 290°, and the acetyl derivative at 173°. Heated with 70 per cent, sulphuric acid it gives the 1:3-dihydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone of Schunck and Marchlewski (Chem. Soc. Trans., 1894, 65, 182). Accordingly it possesses one of the following formulæ [KUVA PUUTTUU]

Hydriodic acid converts it into dihydroxymethylanthranol, C₁₅H₁₂O₃ (melting-point 235°), and by methylation 1:3-dimethoxy-2-methyl anthraquinone (melting-point 181°) is produced.

The monomethyl ether of alizarin is identical with the compound isolated by Perkin and Hummel (Chem. Soc. Trans., 1893, 63, 1174) from chay root, Oldenlandia umbellata (Linn.).

The leaves of the Morinda longiflora also contain the above-mentioned hydroxymethoxymethylanthraquinone, and in addition a crystalline alcohol morindanol, C₃₈H₆₂O₄, which melts at 278° and has [a]_D + 65,9°. With sodium methoxide and methyl iodide it yields methyl morindanol, C₃₈H₆₁O₃.OCH₃ (melting-point 116°).

"Ojuologbo" does not appear to contain an alkaloid, and extracts of the leaves and root were not found to possess any pronounced physiological action (B. and T.).