Vitamin A1 aldehyde in the eggs of the herring (Clupea harengus L.) and other marine teleosts

Abstract

The biological vitamin A activity of herring eggs is about 10 times greater than the chemically determined content of vitamin A1 ester and alcohol. Some 70% of the biological activity can be extracted with light petroleum in the presence of ethanol. The activity of these extracts is accounted for by 2.4-5.7 ug of vitamin A1 aldehyde/g of eggs, with smaller quantities of vitamin A1 ester and alcohol. Small quantities of carotenoids, mainly xanthophylls, are also present. Most of the vitamin A1 aldehyde is linked to some other substance in such a way that its characteristic properties are masked. Free aldehyde is liberated by chromatography through water-weakened alumina. The eggs of all 7 other species of marine teleost fishes examined contained vitamin A1 aldehyde at concentrations of 1-3 ug/g. The concentration of the combined ester and alcohol forms was about 10 times less.