16 



BULLETIN 781, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



for the digestibility of the protein, fat, and carbohydrate of the en- 

 tire ration and those reported for the digestibility of the oil alone 

 are obtained by averaging the results of the individual tests with 

 the different oils. 



Summary of digestion experiments tvith by-products oils. 



Kind of oil. 



Numter 

 of experi- 

 ments. 



Digestibility of entire ration. 



Protein. 



Fat. 



Carbo- 

 hydrate. 



Average 

 amount 



of oil 

 eaten per 

 man per 



day. 



Digesti- 

 bility 

 of oil 

 alone. 



Apricot-kernel oil 

 Cherry-kernel oil . 



Melon-seed oil 



Peach-kernel oil.. 

 Pumpkin-seed oil 

 Tomato-seed oil . . 



Per cent. 

 53.3 

 79.9 

 72.2 

 83.7 

 62.8 

 63.5 



Per cent. 

 94.4 

 94.3 

 94.8 

 91.8 

 95.0 

 90.3 



Per cent. 

 96.4 

 97.6 

 97.7 

 95.6 

 96.9 

 96.6 



Grams. 

 68 

 57 

 40 

 60 

 75 

 57 



Per cent. 

 98.4 

 98.0 

 98.2 



95. 



The amount of oil consumed in the above experiments was not as 

 large as in the early experiments of this series, but, as noted on 

 page 4, this was due to an inadequate supply of the oils under con- 

 sideration and not to the quality of the oil. The small supply of oils 

 also limited the number of experiments which could be made. 



No attempt was made to determine the upper limit of tolerance of 

 these oils, but since in these tests as much as approximately 80 grams 

 of apricot-kernel oil, 74 grams of cherry-kernel oil, 43 grams of melon 

 (cantaloup) seed oil, 73 grams of peach-kernel oil, 77 grams of 

 pumpkin-seed oil, and 65 grams of tomato-seed oil was eaten by one 

 of the subjects for three successive days without physiological dis- 

 turbances being noted, it is safe to conclude that the limit of toler- 

 ance is in excess of these amounts. 



The coefficients of digestibility of the by-products oils, 98.4 per 

 cent for apricot-kernel oil, 98 per cent for cherry-kernel oil, 98.2 per 

 cent for melon (cantaloup) seed oil, 96.6 per cent for peach-kernel 

 oil, 98.2 per cent for pumpkin-seed oil, and 95.8 per cent for tomato- 

 seed oil indicates that these oils are very well assimilated by the 

 body and possess a nutritive value equal to that of other better 

 known edible oils, such as cottonseed, com, peanut, coconut, soy- 

 bean, and olive oils. In general the experiments here reported indi- 

 cate that as far as tolerance and assimilation are concerned apricot, 

 cherry, and peach kernel, and melon (cantaloup), pumpkin, and 

 tomato-seed oils, which at present are practically unutilized, are 

 wholesome, nutritious foods, and should prove satisfactory for edible 

 purposes. 



o 



