viii. occurrence 635 



1. Effect of Variety, Species, and Breed 



Table XIII gives the pantothenic acid content of various varieties of 

 grains. ^'^ It is obvious that considerable variation exists which might be 

 expected from genetic, environmental, and other considerations. This varia- 

 tion convincingly demonstrates the importance of directly assaying any 

 diet or food if a true pantothenic acid value is Avanted rather than relying 

 too heavily on published "average" values. 



Myint et al} have reported that highly significant differences were ob- 

 served in the pantothenic acid content of different breeds of chickens fed 

 similar diets (containing 10 % alfalfa) as follows : 



Pantothenic acid content 

 Breed of leg tissue, 7/g. 



White Jersey Giant 11.6 



New Hampshire 14.7 



White Plymouth Rock 10.7 



White Leghorn 11.0 



No significant differences could be found in the pantothenic acid content 

 of milk of various breeds of cattle.^" Individual variation was greater than 

 differences in breed in the few samples studied. 



2. Effect of Environment during Period of Growth 



The pantothenic acid content of fresh plants, such as alfalfa and clover, 

 is surprisingly^ not influenced by the stage of growth according to Bondi 

 et al} These authors reported, however, that there were various seasonal 

 effects on pantothenic acid content of plants; e.g., plants grown in a dry 

 season had more pantothenic acid than plants grown during a rainy season. 



In this same connection, Tepley et al? have shown that the pantothenic 

 acid content of wheat samples of the same variety differed with the locality 

 in which they were grown. For instance, wheat samples from Ohio were 

 lower in pantothenic acid than the same variety from other areas. These 

 differences are probably explained by soil and seasonal effects. Also, it is 

 known that rain may cause a leaching effect on pantothenic acid during 

 the period of field curing^ which may then also be a factor in the final 

 pantothenic acid content of hays or grains. The pantothenic acid content of 



1 K. J. Frey and G. I. Watson, Agron. J. 42, 434 (1950). 



2 L. J. Teply, F. M. Strong, and C. A. Elvehjem, J. Nutrition 24, 167 (1942). 

 ^ F. Y. Refai and B. S. Miller, Cereal Chem. 29, 469 (1952). 



3 P. R. Burkholder and I. McVeigh, Plant Physiol. 20, 301 (1945). 



^ T. Myint, C. I. Draper, and D. A. Glenwood, Abstr. Meeting, Am. Chem. Soc. 



p. 3A (Sept. 3-8, 1950). 

 *" J. M. Lawrence, B. L. Herrington, and L. A. Maynard, /. Nutrition 32, 73 (1946). 

 ^ A. Bondi, R. Etinger, and H. Meyer, ./. Agr. Sci. 39, 104 (1949). 

 « L. G. Blaylock, L. R. Richardson, and P. B. Pearson, Po2dtnj Sci. 29, 692 (1950). 



