Nov. 3, 1923 
Physiological Effect of Gossypol 
237 
normal. The urine constituents show the result of a high protein diet 
and also the development of slight acidosis. 
CONCLUSIONS 
By experiments on rabbits, gossypol is shown to be absorbed slowly 
when administered through the diet, and its toxic action is slow to 
make its appearance. When introduced directly into the blood stream 
its toxic action is manifest at once. Its most serious effect is on the 
blood. By determining the amount of oxygen that can be liberated 
from blood before and after the addition of small quantities of gossypol, 
it is clear that in some manner the gossypol prevents the liberation of 
free oxygen from oxyhemoglobin. Gossypol also exerts a hemolytic 
effect on the erythrocytes. 
Gossypol causes death in animals by reducing the oxygen-carrying 
capacity of the blood. Thus an excessive burden is thrown on the 
respiratory and circulatory organs which results in the condition found 
in animals that have died from gossypol or cottonseed meal poisoning— 
namely, a passive hyperemia and oedema of the lungs and some hydro¬ 
thorax. These conditions are always present and are not due to bac¬ 
terial infection. 
LITERATURE CITED 
(1) Alsberg, C. L., and Schwartze, E, W. 
1919. pharmacological action of gossypol. (Abstract). In Jour. Pharm. 
and Experimental Ther., v 13, p. 504. 
(2) Carruth, Frank E. 
1918. CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHEMISTRY OP GOSSYPOL, THE TOXIC PRINCIPLE 
op cottonseed. In Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc., v 40, p 647-663. 
Bibliographical footnotes. 
(3) Folin, Otto, and Wu, Hsien. 
1919. a SYSTEM OP BLOOD analysis. In Jour. Biol. Chem., v. 38, p. 81-110, 
2 fig. Bibliographical footnotes. 
(4) Hawk, Philip B. 
1921. practical physiological chemistry. Ed. 7. xiv, 675 p., illus. Phil¬ 
adelphia. 
(5) Osborne, Thomas B., and Mendel, Lafayette B. 
1917. the use op cottonseed as food. In Jour. Biol. Chem., v. 29, p. 289- 
317, 5 charts. 
(6) Richardson, Anna E., and Green, Helen S. 
1916. nutrition investigations upon cotton seed meal. I. In Jour. Biol. 
Chem., v. 25, p. 307-318, 5 charts. Bibliographical footnotes. 
{7) Van Slyke, Donald D. 
1918. gasometric determination of the oxygen and hemoglobin op 
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(8) Wells, C. A., and Ewing, P. V. 
1916. cottonseed meal as an incomplete food. In Jour. Biol. Chem., 
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(9) Withers, W. A., and Carruth, F. E. 
1915. gossypol, the toxic substance in cottonseed meal. In Jour.Agr. 
Research, v. 5, p. 261-288, pi. 25-26. Literature cited, p. 287-288. 
<10)- 
1918. gossypol, the toxic substance in cottonseed, In Jour. Agr. 
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