Abstract
Summary
Mixed tocopherols, about one-half α and the rest chiefly γ, fed to 28 female turkeys for 2.5 to 35 days before slaughter at levels 0.01, 0.1, 1 or 2% of the feed produced measurable increases in the tocopherol content of liver, heart, gizzard and muscle. The 0.1% level fed for 35 days produced the most efficient transfer of tocopherol, but the total amount of the supplement retained in this and the other groups was extremely small. The liver usually contained more tocopherol than any other tissue, 23 to 225 mg per kg fresh tissue, the heart contained 28 to 145, the gizzard 15 to 45, the leg muscle 11 to 50, and the breast muscle 8 to 25. Bioassay of liver and leg muscle indicated the presence of a-tocopherol in amounts within 10% of those obtained by the chemical procedure. No relationship was found between the tocopherol and the vit. A and carotene contents of the 15 livers examined. The peroxide numbers of the fat under the skin and the abdominal fat before and after frozen storage for 3: 5, 6, or 9 months were progressively greater with storage and with decreasing amounts of tissue tocopherol. The acceptability of meat and fat and the detection of rancidity to taste by a panel of judges fell in the same order as the peroxide numbers.
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