278 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. V. No. 7 



TOXICITY OF GOSSYPOIy EXTRACT FREED OF GOSSYPOI^ (FEED 340) 



Gossypol extract was treated with acetic acid for the preparation of 

 gossypol "acetate," as previously described. The precipitate contained 

 most of the gossypol. The filtrate, which contained only a small amount 

 of it, was mixed with corn meal and dried. The extract, thus practi- 

 cally freed of gossypol, was fed to two rabbits in very large amounts and 

 produced no symptoms of poisoning in either. 



The rabbits weighed 1,995 s-^d 1,986 gm., respectively. Each was 

 fed the extract from 500 gm. of kernels during five days, the daily 

 amounts for the first two days corresponding to 130 gm. each and for 

 the three other days, 90 gm. each. No rabbit could have eaten within 

 this short period without fatal results such a large amount of kernels or 

 the gossypol from them. 



TOXICITY OF OXIDIZED GOSSYPOI, (FEED 338) 



Withers and Ray (1913b) noted that the toxicity of cottonseed meal 

 could be destroyed by boiling with alcoholic caustic soda. The alkaUne 

 alcoholic filtrate from this treatment was also found to be nontoxic, 

 owing to the oxidation of the phenolic gossypol to an organic acid. To 

 ascertain the correctness of this view, weighed amounts of recrystalUzed 

 gossypol dissolved in alcohol were treated with dilute caustic soda. The 

 solution was exposed to air overnight, made slightly acid with hydro- 

 chloric acid, and evaporated to dr3mess. The residue was mixed with 

 corn meal and molasses for feeding. The substance had a pronounced 

 bitter taste. Two small rabbits ate the oxidation product, equivalent 

 to 3 gm. of gossypol apiece, in the course of 16 days without the 

 slightest sign of being affected thereby. See Table IX. 



Table IX. — Result of feeding oxidized gossypol to rabbits o 



983- 

 984. 



Weight of rabbit. 



Second 

 day. 



Gm. 



1,280 



850 



Fif- 

 teenth 

 day. 



Gm. 



1,420 

 1,065 



Gm. 

 160 

 215 



Equiv- 

 alent 



in gos- 

 sypol 



of feed 



eaten. 



o On 4 days out of the 16 oxidized gossypol was not fed. 



TOXICITY OF KERNELS WITH GOSSYPOL INCOMPLETELY EXTRACTED 



Ether-Extracted Kernels (Feed 316) 



Decorticated cotton seeds were secured from Charlotte, N. C. They 

 were sifted to remove as much lint and hulls as possible. The kernels 

 were then ground in a mill and sifted through an 18- to 20-mesh sieve and 



