DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY

Pharmacognosy I-B Assignment

Submitted to: Ma’am Madiha Haq

Submitted by: Ayan Asim
Semester: 4th
SAP ID: 70077132
Topic: Spermaceti

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 DRUGS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

1. Spermaceti:

Zoological origin: Physeter macrocephalus

Family: Physteridae

Synonyms: Cetaceum: Spermwax

Common name: Sperm Whale

Fig 1.1: Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Habitat: The whales are found In the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.
They attend a length of 20 meters and up to 6-9 meters in circumference

Introduction: Spermaceti is a solid waxy substance obtained from the oil

derived from the head and blubber of the sperm whale, Physeter
macrocephalus (Fam. Physteridae).

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 Collection and Preparation: The whales are killed with torpedo harpoons
(missiles) that explode upon striking the animal. In front of the cranium there
is a large cavity which contains an oily fluid. The cranial cavity is opened and
the oily liquid removed by buckets or by pumping. A single whale yields 10-
12 barrels of oil. On cooling about 11% Spermaceti separates out. The crude
material is pressed, melted and strained, and treated with boiling aqueous
caustic soda to remove free acids in the form of soap. The purified Spermaceti
is cooled to form cakes.

Fig 1.2: Spermaceti obtained from Sperm Whale

Fig 1.3: Flow diagram of Spermaceti organ

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 Characters:
o Spermaceti is white, somewhat transparent slightly unctuous masses
with crystalline fracture and pearly luster.
o It is almost odourless and tasteless but becomes yellow and rancid on
long exposure to air: density 0.93 - 0.94: m.p. 42-50°: viscosity 1.433.
Saponification number 120 - 136, iodine number 3-4.4.
o It is insoluble in water and cold alcohol, soluble in chloroform, ether,
carbon disulphide, oils, and boiling alcohol; slightly soluble in
petroleum ether.
Chemical constituents:
 Spermaceti consists of chiefly cetyl palmitate (C15H31 OCO C16H33), cetyl
myristate (C15H31OCOC13H27), cetyl laurate, acetyl laurate and cetyl stearate;
the total ester constituents are about 85%.
 Free cetyl alcohol is present in appreciable amounts
 The esters of higher alcohols are also present. On saponification of esters with
alcoholic potassium hydroxide. Cetyl alcohol, (C6 H33 OH), m.p. 49.5°, is
formed.

Fig 1.4: (a) structure of cetyl Palmitate (b) structure of cetyl myristate (c) structure of cetyl laurate
(d) structure of cetyl stearate

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Uses:
 Spermaceti is used as a pharmaceutical aid for cold creams, as a base for
ointments, cerates, etc.
 As emulsion with egg yolk or expressed almond oil.
 It is also used in manufacture of candles, soaps, cosmetics, laundry wax;
finishing and lustering linens.
 It possesses emollient properties.

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 REFERENCES

 https://wepdf.com/do/-muhammad-ali-textbook-of-
pharmacognosy/Spermaceti

 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cetyl-
palmitate/Cetyl-myristate/Cetyl-laurate/Cetyl-stearate

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