Accumulation of Gossypol in the Liver and Factors Influencing the Toxicity of Injected Gossypol

Abstract

The livers from pigs fed diets containing one of eight different cottonseed meals of known processing history were analyzed for free and bound gossypol and iron. Gossypol content of the livers was found to be directly related; and iron content, inversely related to total gossypol content of the diet. A total of 136 weanling rats were used in two experiments to study the influence of dietary protein level on the toxicity of injected gossypol. In the second experiment dietary iron, injectable iron, dietary lysine and the combination of dietary iron and lysine were studied in relation to the toxicity of injected gossypol. Dietary protein level did not alter the toxicity of injected gossypol. Likewise, the other dietary treatments were without beneficial effect. Iron-dextran injected into the peritoneal cavity simultaneously with corn oil containing gossypol was partially effective in preventing the growth depression resulting from injected gossypol but was not completely effective in overcoming the death losses which resulted. Copyright © . .