Year: 1960
Type: article
Abstract: The bound form of nicotinic acid in maize is fairly stable in weakly acid solutions, though in a weak alkali it decomposes readily to yield nicotinic acid in its free form (Chaudhuri & Kodicek, 1950;Kodicek, 1951).Treatment of maize with lime-water, as used in the preparation of tortilla in Mexico, releases nicotinic acid from its bound form and enables it to cure nicotinic-acid deficient rats, as originally observed by Laguna & Carpenter (1951) and confirmed by others (for references see Kodicek, Braude, Kon & Mitchell, 1959).Deficient pigs are also cured by such a tortilla preparation (Kodicek et al. 1959).Most of the workers in this field accept the view that the beneficial effect of alkalitreated maize on nicotinic-acid deficiency is due to liberation of the free from the bound form of nicotinic acid, as discussed in previous papers (Kodicek &Wilson, 1959;Kodicek, 1960).This view may explain, in part, the low incidence of pellagra in populations consuming tortilla.A possible coincidental consumption of other foods or beverages rich in available nicotinic acid may be a further factor (Krehl, 1949;
Source: British Journal Of Nutrition
DOI: 10.1079/bjn19600006
Authors: K. J. Carpenter, E. Kodicek, P. W. Wilson
Institutions: University of Cambridge, Medical Research Council
Language: English
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W60901011