The distribution of vitamins A and A2. II

Abstract

A large sturgeon yielded 1.47 kg. of liver oil containing 1% of vit. A, while part of the intestines gave 29.3 g. of oil containing 10% of vit. The liver contained c. 30 g. vit. A esters and 7 g. vit. A2 esters, the intestines contained 6 g. and 0.5 g., respectively. Lamperns contain only small quantities and vit. A predominates over vit. A2. Dogfish liver oil and intestines also possess extremely little vit. A. Those parts of the alimentary tract of the halibut which take little part in the assimilation of fat are likewise poor in it. The non-saponifiable fraction of spleen contains small quantities of a substance with [lambda] max 275 m[mu]. This substance has not so far been detected in mammalian spleens. Sea birds have much more vit. A in their intestines than such animals as the rabbit. The lungs of the gannet contain surprisingly large quantities. Vits. A and A2 probably do not replace one another with equal readiness in all functions. The enormous variations in the vit. A content of fishes intestines suggest that the mechanism of assimilation is different depending on whether vit. A is a major or a trace intestinal constituent.