Cure of Egg-White Injury in Rats by the "Toxic" Fraction (Avidin) of Egg White Given Parenterally

Abstract

Avidin given parenterally did not exert any toxic effect and did not prevent improvement in the manifestations of egg-white injury when cooked egg white was substituted for the original commercial egg white in the diet. This action may be explained by the presence of biotin in the avidin preps.; in the intestine the avidin-biotin complex is stable and biotin is thus inactive, but in the parenteral medium a split occurs which liberates the combined biotin, which then acts therapeutically.