The effect of heat on the vitamin B6 of milk: II. A comparison of biological and microbiological tests of evaporated milk

Abstract

1. For chicks and rats pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine were equally active in terms of the free bases when given separately from the diet.2. Under our experimental conditions pyridoxine mixed with the chick diet was stable, but 20% of pyridoxamine, and a variable amount of pyridoxal was lost.3. The vitamin B6 activities measured with Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, chicks and rats respectively and expressed as μg. pyridoxine/g. freeze-dried milk were: raw milk 3·4, 3·2 and 4·9; evaporated milk 1·0, 2·1 and 2·7; stored evaporated milk 0·6, 1·4 and 2·0. For the chicks the milks were mixed with the diets; they were given separately to the rats.4. The microbiological and biological results for raw milk agreed within the limits of experimental error. For the processed milks the differences between biological and microbiological tests were statistically significant.5. All three methods of assay showed a 45–70% loss of vitamin B6 activity on processing and a further loss of 30% of the remainder after storage for 6 months at room temperature.We are indebted to Mr J. Rothwell, Department of Dairying, University of Reading, for preparing the evaporated milk and to Dr B. Record, Ministry of Supply, Microbiological Research Establishment, Porton, for freeze-drying the milk. We should like to thank Dr S. K. Kon for his interest in this work.