'Trimyristin' is an
ester with the chemical formula C
45H
86O
6. It is a
saturated fat which is the
triglyceride of
myristic acid. Trimyristin is found naturally in many vegetable fats and oils. Trimyristin is a white to yellowish-gray solid that is insoluble in water, but soluble in
ethanol,
benzene,
chloroform,
dichloromethane, and
ether.
The isolation of trimyristin from powdered
nutmeg is a common introductory-level college organic chemistry experiment. It is an uncommonly simple natural product
extraction because nutmeg oil generally consists of over eighty percent trimyristin. Trimyristin makes up between 20-25% of the overall mass of dried, ground nutmeg. Separation is generally effected by
steam distillation and purification uses extraction from ether followed by distillation or
rotary evaporation to remove the volatile
solvent. The extraction of trimyristin can also be done with diethyl ether at room temperature, due to its high solubility in the ether. The experiment is frequently included in curricula, both for its relative ease and to provide instruction in these techniques.
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