27 



FART IV-THIAMINASE IN STARFISH 



By Charles F. Lee""* 

 INTRODUCTION 



The first two papers of the series of technological studies on the common 

 starfish (Asterias forbesi) of the Atlantic Coastal waters, discussed its ecological 

 relation to the oyster and review data on the chemical composition of fresh star- 

 fish and starfish meal. The third paper discussed data from feeding tests of 



starfish meal as a protein supplement for growth 



^^ of rats and chicks and for egg production. 



^jgfigjv -rttffiSF ^ ne P resent paper presents the data of the 



aewra&r'- ,li<%QJr biological tests from which it was concluded that 



^BKBi&fe^ra raM r tne starfish contained thiaminase, the thiamine- 



^g^j^ ^|"j*F destructive enzyme. 



ajH*%S ImBA&hu ^ ne presence of thiaminase in starfish has 



*§^uMr^| Bfc already been mentioned in connection with the 



.^Sfli ^y 'ml W^^Bft protein feeding tests reported in the preceding 



j&j$ gP ' «& tBr paper of this series, as a factor affecting growth 



&r wS tBL^ of " certai h groups of chicks (Lee, 1%8-B). It 



**^ V ^^ has also been reported in a review paper on thi- 



aminase (Lee, 1948-A) . This review summarized in- 

 _ ™ . formation in the literature on the properties 



of thiaminase, its distribution in the different 

 organs and the various species of fish, and also presented a critical discussion 

 of the numerous contradictions regarding the enzyme that are to be found in the 

 literature. No general discussion of thiaminase will be included herein, other 

 than that which seems to be demanded by the present study of thiaminase in star- 

 fish. 



REVIEW OF LITERATURE 



The existence of a substance in fish which actively destroyed thiamine was 

 first proven in 1941 ,. although several years earlier, an investigation of a number 

 of outbreaks of paralysis of foxes had traced the cause to a thiamine deficiency, 

 and implicated fish as the dietary factor responsible for it. 



It was eventually concluded that the destructive substance was an enzyme, 

 heat labile at the temperature of bo iling water, and separating on dialysis into 

 * Chemical Engineer, Fishery Technological Laboratory, Branch of Commercial Fisheries, 



College Park, Maryland. • 



NOTE: Part I of this series. "Starfish Control—Its Economic Necessity and Methods Used," 

 appeared in the January 1948 issue of Commercial Fisheries Review, pp. 1-6. Also available 

 as Sep. No. 193. 



Part II, "Chemical Composition," appeared in the February 1948 issue, -op. 11-18. 

 Also available as Sep. No. 196. 



Part III, "Value of Starfish Meal— Protein Supplement for Growth of Eats and Chicks 

 and for Egg Production," appeared in the March 1940 issue, np. 8-19. Also available as 

 Sep. No. 199. 



