88 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. XII. No. 3 



TOXICITY OF GOSSYPOL TO RABBITS 



In our previous paper (17) most of our feeding experiments with 

 gossypol were with the "acetate," a crystalline substance containing 

 acetic acid in its composition. This product had the same toxic action 

 as the product precipitated by petroleum ether; therefore we inferred 

 there was no change wrought by crystallization. We have recently 

 fed gossypol in amounts equivalent to a toxic weight of cottonseed 

 kernels and have found it to produce serious results in every case. Where 

 gossypol itself is added to a diet in appreciable amounts, the toxic 

 effect is marked. 



Gossypol was mixed with the feed in four forms: (i) Precipitated (by 

 petroleum ether), (2) recrystaUized "acetate" (lo.i per cent of acetic 

 acid), (3) "free" gossypol, a very pure product, and (4) as the sodium 

 salt of gossypol (gossypol "acetate" neutralized with three molecules of 

 sodium hydroxid, 10.5 c. c. of N/2 alkaU to i gm. of substance). The 

 results are summarized in Table III. 



Table III. — Results of feeding gossypol to rabbits 



A peculiar feature about the effect of gossypol and oftentimes of 

 cottonseed kernels is that the animals may eat these substances for 

 several days without being affected, then they may suddenly cease eating, 

 waste away, and finally die. This was the case with rabbits 21 and 22 

 in this experiment. 



In our pre\dous paper (77) we described the nontoxic product obtained 

 by oxidation of gossypol by action of air on its alkaUne solution. This 

 oxidation product may also be formed to some extent in the cooking of 

 cottonseed, but there is no evidence of it. The meal still contains con- 



