10 BULLETIN 505, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTURE. 



Summary oj digestion experiments vdth peanut oil in a S'imple viixed diet. 



Experi- 

 ment No. 



Subject. 



Protein. 



Fat. 



Carbo- 

 hydrates. 



Ash. 



30 



J. N.F 



Per cent. 

 69.2 

 73.9 

 81.4 

 77.2 

 76.2 



Per cent. 

 97.5 

 97.6 

 96.1 

 93.7 

 95.3 



Per cent. 

 96.8 

 98.4 

 96.3 

 96.0 

 96.7 



Per cent. 

 .55.2 



31 



W. E. L 



69.4 



32 



W. A. D 



.52.4 



36 



J. N. F 



.52.4 



37 



J. V.C 



44.5 





Average 







75.6 



96.0 



96.8 



54.8 









Approximately 98 grams of peanut oil or 97 per cent of the total 

 amount of fat in this diet was eaten per subject per day, and as the 

 coefficient of availability, 96 per cent, imphes, the fat was very com- 

 pletely assimilated. This value is increased somewhat by correct- 

 mg for metabolic products, from which it is calculated that peanut 

 oil is 98.3 per cent digested. 



The protein and carbohydrate in the ration were also well utilized, 

 for by way of comparison it has been found that in the total food of 

 the ordinary mixed diet 92 per cent of the protein, 95 per cent of the 

 fat, and 97 per cent of the carbohydrate are retained by the body.^ 



As the subjects reported no unusual effects as a result of eating 

 this diet, and as no laxative effect was observed, it is apparent that 

 peanut oil of good quality is a useful food, which can be eaten in 

 the same quantities and can be as thoroughly digested as those fats 

 and oils at present most commonly used in the diet. 



COCONUT OIL. 



Coconut oil is obtained from the fruit of the palm Cocos nucifera. 

 In recent years it has become rather widely known and is assuming 

 considerable importance as a cuhnary and table fat. It is used in 

 the commercial baking trade more commonly than it is for household 

 purposes and to some extent in the preparation of butter substitutes. 



The digestibility of coconut oil has not been extensively studied, 

 Bourot and Jean- carried on a series of experiments with subjects 

 who received foods prepared first with natural butter and then with 

 coconut butter. They concluded that the vegetable product was 

 somewhat more thoroughly assimilated than was butter, the former 

 being 98 per cent and the latter 96 per cent digested. 



In a series of tests of 28 days' duration, divided into a fore period 

 of 7 days, a 14-day experimental period, and an after period of 7 days, 

 Von Gerlach ^ found that purified coconut oil, called "saneUa," and 

 true butter were both 97 per cent digested. 



Liihrig * reports a similar study in which different amounts of 

 so-called coconut butter designed for use as a butter substitute were 



1 Connecticut Storr's Sta. Rpt. 1901, p. 245. 



2 Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 123 (1S96), No. 16, pp. 587-590. 



3 Ztsfhr. Phys. u. Diiilet. Ther., 12 (1908-9), No. 2, pp. 102-110. 



♦ Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. Genussml.1., 2 (1809), No. 8, pp. 622-632. 



