QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Guerrant, N. B. Articles by Thompson, R. Q. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Guerrant, N. B. Articles by Thompson, R. Q.

Soybean Lecithins and Vitamin A Utilization¹

One Figure

Department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State College, State College

Studies were made relative to the influence of commercial soybean lecithins on vitamin A utilization by the rat. Four samples of crude soybean lecithins and one sample of purified plant lecithin were used in the studies. Groups of normal rats and groups of vitamin A-deficient rats were fed a vitamin A-deficient diet containing definite percentages of the crude lecithins, and other groups of rats received the vitamin A-deficient diet containing equivalent amounts of the non-saponifiable residues from the respective lecithins. Still other groups of animals were fed the deficient diet supplemented with other fractions and constituents of the crude lecithins. The lecithin supplements were fed without vitamin A and with restricted daily doses of vitamin A. Records were made of rate of vitamin A depletion, change in body weight, food intake, and mortality rate.

From the data obtained under the conditions of these studies it seems reasonable to conclude that:

1. Different samples of crude soybean lecithins vary in their capacity to stimulate growth in vitamin A-deficient rats or in rats receiving a suboptimum intake of vitamin A.

2. Inasmuch as the biologically active material is found primarily in the non-saponifiable residues when the crude lecithins are saponified, the lecithin molecule does not seem to be responsible for the biological activity. This is substantiated by experiments with purified plant lecithin. Furthermore, the biological effect could not be attributed to inositol or to choline.

3. Fractionation of the non-saponifiable residues through chromatography and spectrophotometric examination of the eluates revealed the presence of carotenoids. Biological tests on the purified fractions also revealed pro-vitamin A activity. While much of the pigment was lost through chromatography and only part of the biological activity could be accounted for in the final eluate, it seems reasonable to conclude that the "vitamin A-sparing effect" of commercial soybean lecithins is due at least in part to the presence of carotenoids.

Manuscript received 1 October 1951.