Arakawa's Reaction and Vitamin C Content of Human Milk. Part 1. The Influence of Vitamin C upon Arakawa's Reaction

111th Report of the Peroxidase Reaction

Abstract

In the present paper I have made an investigation into the influence of vitamin C upon Arakawa's reaction with the following results:-
1. An oral or parenteral administration of vitamin C in a large amount did not change Arakawa's reaction remarkably.
2. The amount required of vitamin C to make the urine of 4 mgrms. % content in the vitamin was in the case of strong Arakawa's reaction 1.4-1.6 grms. and 1.2-1.4 grins. in the case of the negative re-action of the intensity 5'(-).
3. In such cases with a certain daily fluctuation of Arakawa's reaction, the fluctuation had nothing to do with vitamin C, and in such cases with a daily change of the vitamin content in milk, the change had no or scarcely any connection with Arakawa's reaction.
4. In spite of almost the same diet, human milk with Arakawa's reaction of the intensity 5'(-) was of a larger content in vitamin C (like substance) than milk positive to the reaction.
5. There was no remarkable difference between the Arakawa reaction and the amount of milk secretion, “rich” or “poor” secretion taking the word of the mothers themselves.
6. The amount of vitamin C necessary to make Arakawa-positive milk Arakawa negative in vitro was very much larger than had hitherto been reported in literature.
7. The trial to make the C-vitamin like substance in human milk disappear by force of Arakawa's reagent No. 3 was unable to intensify the Arakawa reaction remarkably.