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The Effect of Oral Administration of Rutin on Blood, Liver and Adrenal Ascorbic Acid and on Liver and Adrenal Cholesterol in Guinea Pigs¹

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Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Emory University, Georgia

1. The influence of oral administration of rutin on total ascorbic acid concentrations of whole blood, liver and adrenals, and on total cholesterol of liver and adrenals, was studied in two groups of guinea pigs, one of which was maintained on adequate and the other on inadequate levels of vitamin C intake for three weeks. Sixteen animals were used in each group, of which 8 served as controls and 8 were given 20 mg of rutin every other day throughout the test period. A third group of guinea pigs was maintained on an adequate ascorbic acid intake for only two weeks, and only the blood and adrenal vitamin C concentrations of this group were determined.

2. No significant differences in mean values between the rutin-fed animals and their respective controls were found except in the adrenal ascorbic acid concentrations of the two groups on adequate vitamin C intake, which were as follows: (1) 77.9 gm % for controls and 93.4 mg % for rutin-fed; (2) 64.4 mg % for controls and 86.7 mg % for rutin-fed.

3. This "sparing effect" of rutin on adrenal ascorbic acid under conditions of adequate vitamin C intake may be due to the antioxidant action of rutin with respect to ascorbic acid and epinephrine, which latter when oxidized contributes to the destruction of vitamin C. Rutin may thus protect some of the surplus ascorbic acid from oxidation and permit increased deposition of the vitamin in the adrenals.

Manuscript received 11 January 1949.