白鼠,家兎 및 닭에 있어서 그 年齡에 따라 組織內 비타민C 含量의 變化

Abstract

[한글]

[영문]

Among all animals investigated previously only humans other primates, and guinea pigs cannot synthesize vitamin C in the body.

The main metabolic pathway of L-ascorbic acid in rats and guinea pigs involves extensive oxidation of its entire carbon chain to CO^^2. A smaller fraction of the vitamin is excreted in urine as L-ascorbic acid, diketogulonic acid and oxalic acid(Burns et at. 1951, 1954, 1956).

In rats, when L-ascorbic -1-C**l4 acid is injected, 19-29% of C**l4 was found in respiratory CO^^2 in 24 hours (Chrtin and King, 1955). King and his coworkers established through isotope work that carbon-1 of D-glucose becomes carton-6 of L-ascorbic acid, while carlon-6 of glucose truns up to the 1 position of ascorbic acid (Tackel et al., 1950, Horowitz and King, 1953).

In human beings, on the contrary, L-ascorbic acid is mainly excreted in urine as L-as-corbic acid, diketo-L-gulonic acid and oxalic acid, but no CO^^2 was formed from the vitamin in the body, no expired from the lung (Hellman and Burns, 1951, 1956, Baker et al., 1963).

As explained above, the metabolism of vitamin C in humans, rats and guinea pigs was comparatively well investigated. But except in humans, the vitamin content of organs in animals at various ages has not been well investigated. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate vitamin content of organs in animals at various ages.

For experimental animals, albino rats, rabbits, and chicken were used. The vitamin C content in the organs (blood, liver. and adrenal) of the animals was determined at various ages from 21 days to 24 months old. In addition to the determination of vitamin C in that period, in the chicken vitamin C content in the

organs was determined from one week before batching to 21 days old.

RESULTS AND SUMMARY

1. Vitamin C content in the organs of the albino rat.

The vitamin C level in blood is 0.58mg% at 21 days old which is the highest level through all ages. In liver too, it is highest at 21 days old, 37.1 mg%. In adrenal, it is 266.9 mg% at 21 days old, which decreases at one month old, then again it goes up to 341.4mg% at 3 months old.

2. Vitamin C content in the organs of rabbits.

The vitamin C level in blood is highest at 21 days old, 0.55u7%, and it goes down to the lowest levee at one month old, 0.l5mg%, then it goes up again. In liver too, it is highest at 21 days old, 4.12 mg%, then it goes up again, In adrenal, it is

130.06 mg% 21 days old, which decreases at one month, then again it goes up.

3. Vitamin C content in the organs of chicken.

The vitamin C content in the chicken is quite different from that in rats and rabbits. In blood, liver and"adrenal, the vitamin C level is highest at one month old, 1.25, 43.38and 167. 05 mg% respectively, then it goes down.

4. Vitamin C content in th? organs of chicken right before and after hatching.

The vitamin C level in blood is 0.67-0.5mg% from first week till third week after hatching. In liver vitamin C level is around 14.37mg% at thir? day before hatching which encreases to 23.89mg% in the first week after hatching then there is little

variation till the third week. In adrenals, vitamin C level is 74.47-54.99mg% from first week to third week after hatching.

From these results, it is concluded that the variation of vitamin C content in organs of fowl and rhodent is different from one another.