Abstract
Aqueous solutions of thiamin hydrochloride were incubated with catechol at pH 7.4 and 50℃ for 24 hr. Additional solutions of thiamin and catechol were incubated separately. After incubation, remaining thiamin was analyzed by the thiochrome procedure which showed that the thiamin in the thiamin-catechol mixture was reduced by 82.5-90% and the thiamin incubated alone by 18-20%. The solutions were fed to groups of rats which had been kept on a thiamin free diet for 17 days. Body weight gains, erythrocyte transketolase (ETKA), thiamin pyrophosphate effect (TPPE) and thiamin in the liver and urine were measured. The results showed that the thiamin-catechol mixture produced thiamin deficiency in terms of TPPE values indicating that the thiamin was inactivated with catechol in vitro. However, no effect was observed in the rat groups given thiamin and catechol separately.
