After the extraction, the product yield was 0.622 g which was a 59.35% yield from the mass of the nutmeg that used. The extraction is the first step to isolating the trimyristin from nutmeg and the product from the extraction was recrystallized to purify it. The percent yield after the first recrystallization was 25.08%. The melting point for this product was between 54 and 56 °C. The literature gives a melting point range of 56-57 °C for trimyristin. The range matches closely and the crude product upper limit is the same as the given lower limit for trimyristin. The first recrystallization product can therefore be confirmed to be trimyristin and the slightly lower level in melting point suggests it is not yet a pure sample. After the recrystallization, a melting point between 55-56 °C is achieved for the product. Some of the material was used for the hydrolysis, but what was used to recrystallize gave a 72.91% yield. The melting point range decreased by 1 °C and moved closer to the literature range for trimyristin. As the second recrystallization was of the crude trimyristin product of the first recrystallization, not changes should have occurred, and the product can be identified as trimyristin. The 0.062 g taken from the first recrystallized product was used in the hydrolysis and acid addition part of the experiment and gave a product that after drying weighed 0.049 g which gave a 79.03% yield in product. The dried sample also had the melting point taken and was recorded at 54 °C. The literature gives a melting point value of 54.4 °C for myristic acid, so the product of hydrolysis and acid addition can be identified as such.
Recent comments