The Riboflavin Content of Meats

Abstract

Using a rat-growth method, determinations of the riboflavin content of a number of meats have been made. The organs and tissues studied were found to contain the following amounts of riboflavin, expressed in units per gram of fresh uncooked material as purchased: beef brisket, 0.74; lamb chops, 1.1; bacon, 0.36; cured ham, 0.81; fresh ham, 1.2 and pork liver, 9.2. With our diet, technic and strain of animals, unpublished experiments indicate that 1 unit is equivalent to approximately 2.5 micrograms of crystalline riboflavin. The meats assayed were therefore found to contain amounts of ‘vitamin G’ biologically equivalent to crystalline riboflavin as follows: beef brisket, 1.9; lamb chops, 2.8; bacon, 0.9; cured ham, 2.0; fresh ham, 3.0 and pork liver, 23 micrograms per gram. Of a total of forty-eight controls receiving the deficient diet only, twenty-five (52%) developed cataract during the 10-week experiment, and thirty-two (67%) exhibited cataract before death. The incidence of cataract in the groups of rats receiving meat supplements varied in inverse relation to the growth.