OCCURRENCE IN FOODSTUFFS 



7. OCCURRENCE OF PANTOTHENIC ACID IN FOODSTUFFS 



W. H. Peterson and C. A. Elvehjem ^ showed that the " chick 

 anti-dermatitis factor " was present in yeast, whilst Waisman et al.^ 

 estimated the minimal protective levels for chicks of certain animal 

 tissues, and reported that liver and kidney were the richest sources 

 of pantothenic acid, which was also present in heart, spleen, brain, 

 pancreas, tongue and lung ; muscle was but a poor source. Most of 

 the early values recorded for the pantothenic acid content of foodstuffs 

 are due to T. H. Jukes, ^ who also used the chick assay method. He 

 found yeast to be the richest source, with 140 to 350 fig. per g. of dry 

 weight. Other rich sources were liver, containing 25 to 60 ; egg, 8 to 

 48 ; egg yolk, 50 to 100 ; and broccoli, 46 fig. per g. 



The following were moderately good sources : whole milk, 1-3 to 

 4'2 ; skim milk, 2-i to 4-3 ; buttermilk, 3-5 to 5-6 ; whey, 2-4 to 57 ; 

 lean beef, 10 ; canned salmon, 7 ; wheat, 11 ; wheat bran, 24 ; wheat 

 germ, 7 ; barley, 10 ; yellow corn, 8 ; polished rice, 4 ; potatoes, 6-5 ; 

 split peas, 20 to 22 ; carrots, 2 ; tomatoes, i ; spinach, i-2 ; kale, 2-3 

 to 3-6 ; onion, i-2 ; orange, 07 ; banana, 07 ; and walnuts, 8 fig. 

 per g. 



The following foodstuffs were poor sources, containing less than 

 I fig. per g. : canned beans, canned peas, turnips, beets, egg white, 

 prunes, raisins, canned peaches, apples and almonds. 



According to Teply et al.^ the pantothenic acid content of wheat 

 averaged about 13 fig. per g., ranging from 9 to 17 fig. per g. according 

 to the variety. Patent flour contained 57 ; first clear flour, 9-6 ; 

 second clear flour, 12-8 ; and wheat germ, 15-3 fig. per g. Wholemeal 

 flour was richer in pantothenic acid than 85 % extraction flour and 

 this, i'U turn, was richer than white (73 % extraction) flour ; wheat 

 germ contained twice as much as wholemeal.^ 



Cow's colostrum contained less pantothenic acid than cow's milk, 

 namely 2-2 compared with 37 fig. per ml., and ewe's colostrum less 

 than ewe's milk, namely, 2-6 against 37 fig. per ml.^ The pantothenic 

 acid content of cow's milk rose to 4 fig. per ml. during the first nine 

 days of lactation and then fell to the normal level of 3-5 fig. per ml.'' 



Waisman et al.^ assayed different animal tissues by the micro- 

 biological method after digestion with an enzyme preparation ; panto- 

 thenic acid was liberated fairly completely by pancreatin and to a 

 more limited extent by other enzymes with a lower proteolytic ac- 

 tivity. They found that beef, pork, lamb and chicken tissues were 

 good sources of pantothenic acid. In general, liver and kidney were 

 the richest sources, containing 44 to 88 and 32 to 49 fig. per g. re- 

 spectively. Striated muscle contained 7 to 21, heart 12 to 25, brain 

 about 36 and spleen 13 fig. of pantothenic acid per g. Cooking and 



