Abstract
THE presence of crucifer material in the diet is reported to increase the urinary and fæcal excretion of thiamine with greater storage of the vitamin in viscera of rats1. We have also reported that 2 per cent mustard (Brassica nigra) replacing the same weight of sucrose in the thiamine-free diet enhanced the synthesis of thiamine in rats only when coprophagy was allowed2. The coliform count in the cæca of mustard-fed rats was also found to increase considerably. The question then arises whether the vitamin was absorbed in the gut immediately after synthesis or whether it was excreted in the fæces and was available only after the animal had eaten its fæces.
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MEGHAL, S., NATH, M. Thiamine-sparing Action of Mustard and Role of Coprophagy. Nature 198, 89 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/198089a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/198089a0
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