Title: Nutritional and Biochemical Effects of Irradiation from Cobalt-60 (Oxidation of fats and Vitamin E)

Authors: King, C.G.; Nolan, T.R.; Przybielski, Bitt J.; Becker, R.R.

Publishers: Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York 27, New York

Year: 1954

Sponsors: DA-49-007-MD-550

Subjects: Wholesomeness and radiation chemistry of wheat, skim milk and butterfat fed to rats; oxidation of fats.

Comments: (Brynjolfsson) This is a rather small contract. It is a continuation of earlier feeding studies under AEC contract AT-30(30-1)-1186, which had indicated a diminished reproduction in animals fed partially irradiated diet. The object of this continuing work was to determine whether this apparent insufficiency is due to destruction of vitamin E or other nutrients. The composition of the diet being used was as follows: 1000 g of ground whole wheat; 147 g skim milk powder; 53 g butterfat; 20 g sodium chloride; Parke-Davis & co. "Haliver" oil, diluted 1:2 by volume with Wesson Oil, one drop twice per week. This diet was essentially Sherman's Diet 16 plus oil. High generation (80th) Sherman rats were used. Three groups of rats were used, 10 females and 10 males in each group: one control, another group where the butterfat portion of the diet was irradiated with 27.9 kGy; and a third group fed diet containing irradiated (27.9 kGy) butterfat plus 2 mg of d-alpha-tochpherol acetate in olive oil per week by dropper. As indicated in the final report no significant differences between the different groups could be discerned. In addition to the growth and reproduction studies, some radiation chemistry studies of oxidation of the ascorbic acid and of hydroquinones is reported.