Suitability of Inulin for Intravenous Administration to Man

Abstract

Attention has been called to the fact that, while some samples of inulin are physiologically innocuous, others, apparently of the highest chemical purity, may induce febrile reactions, accompanied in the more severe forms by chills, nausea and lumbar pain. 1 According to Co Tui, et al., 2 , 3 , 4 the pyrogenic activity can be removed by passing the solution through a Seitz serum filter or EK filter, a fact which we have confirmed for the EK filter. Treatment with filter material (asbestos) in bulk is ineffective. Originally we removed the pyrogenic activity as follows: 750 gm. of dry inulin (8% water) are dissolved in 1500 cc. of hot distilled water and boiled for 5 minutes with 50 gm. of Norit A; the solution is filtered hot with the aid of suction, mixed with an equal volume of 95% alcohol, and chilled in the icebox. The inulin is filtered out by suction and well drained by hand pressure. If further purification is desired the moist inulin is dissolved in 1200 cc. of distilled water and the above process repeated; otherwise it is dried at 50° for 15 to 24 hours. This method was used by the Pfanstiehl Chemical Company to purify inulin on a large scale, the resulting preparations being non-reactive in man in doses of 100 gm., administered intravenously as a 20% solution in 1.0% NaCl, injected at a rate of 6 to 10 cc. per minute. But more recently Norit extraction has failed to work, both in our hands and in the Pfanstiehl laboratory, and until the method is corrected we are removing the reactivity by filtering the 5 or 10% solution through a Seitz EK serum filter.