VITAMIN E DESTRUCTION BY RANCID FATS

Abstract

On a diet similar to that used by Olcott and Mattill, initial fertility was encountered in 8 out of 750 animals. Failure of implantation was observed with increasing frequency in successive resorptions. This failure did not reach annoying proportions until the animals were subjected to a 3d test period after the initial resorption. The vit. E activity of a supplemented ration was destroyed by certain fats made rancid by aeration, by heat in the presence of O2. by treatment with ozone, or by addition of palmitic peroxide. No destruction was observed with fats heated under N or with fats to which acrolein, allyl alcohol, or straight-chain aldehydes and ketones had been added. When a moderately rancid fat and a source of vit. E were fed separately to avoid a mixing of the 2 in the gastro-intestinal tract or in the ration, no destruction of the vit. occurred.