The nature of the lipoid matter extracted from green leaves (spinach and cabbage)

The unsaponiftable fraction from the spinach leaf.CLENSHAW and SMEDLEY-MACLEAN [1929] examined the unsaponifiable matter of the lipoid matter of spinach leaves and isolated from it (1) carotene, (2) a satu- rated hydrocarbon melting at 68-68.5° which they identified as hentriacontane C,,lHM,, and (3) a sterol which forms less than 5 % of the total unsaponifiable matter.The same authors also examined the leaves of green cabbage and showed that they contained a hydrocarbon, which they did not completely characterise, similar to that present in spinach.This was accompanied by a substance containing oxygen which did not appear to be represented in spinach and which was reserved for further investigation.Shortly afterwards Heyl, Wise and Speer [1929] published the results of an examination of spinach fat in which very much larger quantities of material had been worked up than had been used by the previous observers.The con- clusions of these authors differed so widely from those of Clenshaw and Smedley- MacLean that it seemed desirable to repeat the investigation of spinach fat and to endeavour to reconcile the discrepancies.The hydrocarbon isolated by Heyl, Wise and Speer melted at 67.5-68.5°and contained C, 84*8 %, H, 15 %: to this they ascribed the formula C20H421,