Gall Nuts

GALL NUTS, ink nuts (Pharmacopoeia VII), Gallae turcicae (levanticae, halepenses), pathological growths on young branches and petioles of various oak species growing in Europe and Asia; in Asia Minor, Persia, and Greece they are harvested predominantly from Quercus lusitanica, var. infectoria, and sold under the name "Turkish gall nuts." Gall nuts are formed as a result of the puncturing in summer of petioles and young twigs and the deposition of an egg (one per puncture) by the gall wasp, a small insect about 5 mm in size (Cynips Gallae tinctoriae), somewhat resembling a bee. At the affected site, a spherical growth with an uneven surface up to 2.5 cm in diameter is formed, in which, undergoing metamorphosis, a young gall wasp develops (female, males unknown), which gnaws through the gall nut and flies away; there is also an assumption that irritation does not begin from the moment of the puncture, but as a result of tissue irritation by the larvae's secretions. Gall nuts are harvested in August and September while still green and dried in the shade; then the gall nuts darken and become hard; they should be heavier than water. Several grades are distinguished: Aleppo (the best grade), Mosul, Smyrna; in addition, there are inferior grades, such as Morean (from Quercus cerris) or European (from Quercus pedunculata and Quercus sessiliflora). Under the name of gall nuts, acorn cups of certain oak species are also collected (Quercus aegilops, Quercus valonea, and others in Asia Minor and Greece), which under the name of "eastern knoppern" are exported from Smyrna for technical purposes in quantities of up to 30,000 tons per year; they contain fewer tannins (up to 30-40%) than true gall nuts. Composition of gall nuts: up to 70% tannic or digallic acid (see Tannin), or rather gly- Chemical composition of nut kernels (in percentage). (To the article Nuts.) Name of nuts Nitrogenous subst. Fats Nitrogen-free subst. Fiber Water American dried Unpeeled beech

peeled

roasted

Water-cleaned fresh

Bread from peanut flour

Cake

by the female of the insect Aphis chinensis; they have the appearance of blisters ranging in size from a nut to a small apple of the most diverse shapes, hollow inside and containing in the cavity masses of dead insects (up to 3,000 and more); the weight of the blisters is up to 12 g. Used to obtain tannin. Measures are being taken to replace imported ones with other tannin-containing substances, such as badan, sumac, and others.

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