Studies on the vitamin B₁₂ of apuatic Animals I

The vitamin B₁₂ Content of Fishes (1)

Abstract

The vitamin B₁₂ content of several fishes was determined by microbiological assay using Euylena glacitis as test organism. The results are summarized in Table 4.
The values in the table are obtained by determining the B₁₂ content in the water extracts of the materials, and the values in gothic letter are obtained by determining the B₁₂ content in the water extracts of the materials which are previously digested by pancreatin.
From the data of Table 4 following facts are revealed.
1) The B₁₂ content of liver is higher than that of other bodily parts, and the value for ordinary flesh is low.
But time B₁₂ content of dark flesh is remarkably higher than that of ordinary flesh.
2) Individual fishes of same species vary considerably in B₁₂ potency of tissues.
3) The B₁₂ content of livers of gray mullet, Mugil cephalus, and yellow tail, Seriola qunqueradiata, is very high, and that of shark, Carcharinus japonicus, and alaska pollack, Theragra chalcogramma, is very low.
4) The B₁₂ content of flesh of pacific sanry Cololabis saira is high.
The B₁₂ in flesh of shark, Carcharinus japonicus, could not he detected.