Daily Variation of the Iodine Number of Human Milk Fat and Influence of Vitamin B₁ on the Iodine Number and Arakawa's Reaction

181st Report of the Peroxidase Reaction. (128th Human Milk Study.)

Abstract

1. Daily variation of the iodine number of milk fat is small as far as the intensity of Arakawa's reaction remains constant.
2. No remarkable change of the iodine number of milk fat was observed on an administration of vitamin B₁ to the lactating mother with Arakawa-positive milk.
3. It is distinctly shown that the iodine number, which showed previously a high value, decreased to a normal value on an administration of vitamin B₁ to the mother with Arakawa-negative milk.
4. Milk in menstruation showed a high iodine number corresponding to sudden weakening of Arakawa's reaction.
5. In a case of milk from a pregnant mother, a comparatively small amount of vitamin B₁ showed a remarkable influence on the iodine number of milk fat, while Arakawa's reaction remained completely negative as it was before.
6. In a preliminary animal experiment, I saw a gradual elevation of the iodine number of fat in the milk secreted from a rabbit which was fed on B-avitaminotic diet. And on an administration of vitamin B₁, the iodine number decreased relatively rapidly. Fat content of rabbit's milk varied from about 10% to about 20%, and the iodine number fluctuated from 68.2 to 97.8.
7. High iodine number of milk fat in Arakawa-negative cases is generally caused by B₁-deficiency of a lactating mother.
8. Arakawa-negative milk is milk from a B₁-avitaminotic body and is as a rule a “bad” milk.