Abstract
Thiamine β-hydroxyethyl disulfide (TOED), a new homologue of allithiamine, was studied on several biological activities comparing with thiamine hydrochloride. TOED showed equivalent activity as thiamine hydrochloride in the rice bird preventive test as well as in the rat curative growth assay. TOED, when administered intraveneously to rabbits, caused a marked elevation of blood thiamine level, especially in the blood cells, and sustained this high level for longer time. When it was given orally to man, a large quantity of thiamine excreted in urine, and the value of the ratio of oral LD 50% to intraperitoneal LD 50% in mice of TOED was smaller than that of thiamine hydrochloride. From above facts the former seemed to be absorbed through gastrointestines more easily than the latter. Local irritability of TOED was negligible.
