Gossypol, the Toxic Substance in Cottonseed Meal 



267 



ground kernels in a Soxhlet apparatus for several hours with petroleum 

 ether and then with ethyl ether we obtained a product which for con- 

 venience we called "gossypol extract." After the evaporation of the 

 ether there was left a red resinous material which had a peculiar pungent 

 odor and which amounted to about 2.5 per cent of the weight of the 

 kernels used. This material seems to consist largely of gossypol, 

 although we have not yet made an examination with reference to identi- 

 fying other constituents. No doubt considerable oil is present. 



Gossypol extract administered intraperitoneally and fed in one large 

 dose in oil or in small daily doses with corn meal and molasses was 

 found to be toxic to all the animals experimented with. 



Catheter Feeding op Gossypol Extract 



This gossypol extract from 90 to 180 gm. of cottonseed kernels was 

 fed to each of four rabbits and proved fatal in every case. Care was 

 taken to remove all the solvent, and the gossypol extract was dissolved 

 in cottonseed oil which had been purified in this laboratory. The oil 

 solution was then fed through a catheter. The control animal, on a 

 large dose of cottonseed oil, had diarrhea the next day, but was normal 

 thereafter. Table II summarizes the results obtained with the gossypol 

 extract fed forcibly to rabbits. 



Table II. — Results of feeding gossypol extract and purified cottonseed oil with a catheter 



to rabbits 



Feed and rabbit No. 



Weight of 

 rabbit. 



Weight of 



kernels before 



extraction. 



Gossypol extract: 



923 



924 



926 



927 



Ptirified cottonseed oil 

 925 (control) 



Gm. 

 1,500 



1,750 



3,000 

 2, 100 



2, 500 



About 160 

 170 



15 



30 



(K water.) 



30-35 



{y, water.) 

 30-35 



40 



Died in about 



hours. 

 Died in 30 to 



hours. 

 Died in 25 hours. 

 Died in less than 16 



hours. 



Sick with diarrhea 

 next day only. 



POST-MORTEM observations 



Rabbit 923. — Part of dose still in stomach. First foot of intestines considerably 

 injected. Excess serous fluid in abdomen, 10 c. c. No evidence of catheter reaching 

 lungs. 



Rabbit 924. — Lungs very much congested. Excess fluid in chest cavity, 3 to 4 

 c. c. Some hemorrhagic condition along blood vessels of large intestines. 



Rabbit 926. — Lungs normal. Anus discolored from diarrhea. 



Rabbit 927. — Lungs markedly congested. 



