A chemical study of American tung oil

A phytochemical investigation of American tung oil which had been reported to have hypotensive properties was carried out in an attempt to isolate the active component in a pure state. 9,14-Dihydroxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid which had been reported previously in tung oil, was isolated by using Permutit A (anion exchange resin) rather than Ionac A. A white crystalline substance, m. p. 295–297°, was obtained in low yield from the 80 per cent alcohol extract of a petroleum ether solution of tung oil. It is a substance not previously reported in tung oil and appears to be a phytosterolin (phytosterol glycoside) according to its physical and chemical properties. From the fraction not containing eleostearic acid after hydrolysis, a syrupy extract was obtained by utilizing freeze-drying; from the saponifiable fraction, eleostearic acid was isolated.