DIGESTIBILITY OF SOME VEGETABLE PATS. 5 



Summary of digestion experiments with olive oil in a sim^ple mixed diet. 



Experi- 

 ment No. 



Subject. 



Protein. 



Fat. 



Carbohy- 

 drates. 



Ash. 



151 



D. G. G 



Per cent. 

 69.5 

 59.5 

 64.9 

 75.3 

 74.0 

 80.7 

 62.1 

 64.9 

 72.9 

 70.5 



Per cent. 

 95.1 

 91.5 

 93.7 

 95.0 

 95.3 

 97.9 

 93.5 

 95.4 

 95.6 

 94.4 



Per cent. 

 95.3 

 96.1 

 96.9 

 97.1 

 97.9 

 98.4 

 96.5 

 95.7 

 97.1 

 96.5 



Per cent. 

 58.9 



153 



154 



R. L. S 



R F, T 



43.4 

 57.0 



183 



D G. G 



71.8 



184 



185 



R. L. S 



O E. S 



77.3 

 84.2 



186 



R F T 



56.3 



243 



D. G. G 



62.9 



244 



R L S - 



69.1 



245 . . 



E S 



70.4 











69.4 



94.7 



96.8 



65.1 









The average coefficient of digestibility of all the fat eaten during 

 these tests was 94.7. As the ether extract of the feces, however, is 

 known to contain metabolic products, a correction has been applied to 

 all of the value for the average availability of total fat consumed. 

 Digestion experiments with the basal ration alone as the only source 

 of fat have been reported in connection with the animal-fat experi- 

 ments, from which it was concluded that 9.89 per cent of the total 

 weight of water-free feces occurs as metabolic products.^ Subtracting 

 the quantity represented by this percentage from the total ether 

 extract of the feces, a value is obtained more nearly representing the 

 weight of unutilized fat. The corrected value for the availability of 

 olive oil then becomes 97.8 per cent. 



The five subjects reported that they remained in normal physical 

 condition during the experimental periods. In experiment No. 185, 

 in which 80 grams of olive oil was eaten per day, the subject O. E. S. 

 reported that the diet had a constipating effect. In experiments 

 Nos. 243, 244, and 245, in which 82, 89, and 103 grams of olive oil 

 were consumed, the subjects reported that the diet produced a pro- 

 nounced laxative effect. However, in the experiments in which 

 the laxative effect was noted, the olive oil was as completely assimi- 

 lated as in the remaining experiments, and the tests as a whole yield 

 additional evidence that, used in the usual ways for cooking and on the 

 table, olive oil is a wholesome, valuable food. 



COTTONSEED OIL. 



Refined cottonseed oil is a common food product used as such in 

 large quantities for culinary and table purposes, and also in the manu- 

 facture of hardened fats and other commercial fats designed for use in 

 cookery. 



Very few results have been found on record which concern the 

 digestibility of cottonseed oil by the human organism, though animal 

 feeding experiments have been rather common. Moore ^ has reported 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 310 (1915), p. 20. 



2 Loc. cit. 



