NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
152
The Refractive Dispersion of Ghee
These samples were all made in the laboratory and were of R.M. value about 27 ; they show
remarkable uniformity in their dispersions.
TABLE II
Rancid samples of ghee
Sample
1. Lyallpur,
April
1942
2. Lyallpur, February
1942
3. Dacca, Jane 1942
4. Gauhati, September
1942
5. Cuttack, May 1942
6. Dacca, March 1942
7. Hingoli, May 1942
8. Central Provinces
No. 115
9. Dacca, April 1942
10. Central Provinces
No. 109
11. Assam, January
1943
12. Dacca, May 1942
R.M.
value
39.94
34.42
30.64
30.27
28.78
27.63
26.19
25.01
24.84
20.11
18.50
30.76
Scale reading
4358
46° 37.6'
46° 38.8'
46° 31.1'
46° 24.2'
46° 22.4'
46° 22.8'
46° 26.0'
46° 33.0'
46° 16.8'
46° 23'
46° 4.6'
. .
5460
44°42'
44°45'
44°36'
44°30'
44°28'
44°30'
44°31'
44°39'
44°22'
44°30'
44° 12'
44°36'
Refractive index
n 4358
1.47112
1.47101
1.47176
1.47245
1.47263
1.47258
1.47227
1.47158
1.47318
1.47257
1.47438
. .
n 5460
1.46266
1.46236
1.46325
1.46385
1.46405
1.46385
1.46375
1.46296
1.46464
1.46385
1.46464
1.46325
n4358—n5460
.
.00865
.00851
.00860
.80858
.00873
.00852
.00860
.00854
.00872
.00874
. .
R.I.
n D
1.4540
1 42
1.4550
1.4534
1.4550
1.4558
1.4559
1.4560
1.4554
1.4559
1.4560
1.4558
These samples represent 12 samples of differing R.M. value from all over India, ranging in age
from six months to three years. The general effect is that aging lowers greatly the dispersion of ghee
and that there is no correlation between R.M. and dispersion. Since, however, solitary samples
could hardly be representative, two sets of ghee of high and low R.M. respectively were studied:
the results are shown in Table III.
TABLE III
R. M. and dispersion in old ghees
Sample
Kirkee samples :
1. November 1941 .
2. December 1941 .
3. January 1942 .
4. March 1942 .
5. April 1942 .
G. May 1942 .
7. Juno 1942 .
8. July 1942 .
9. August 1942 .
10. October 1942 .
11. November 1942 .
R.M.
value
29.3
31.9
25.6
29.1
36.4
28.3
27.6
30.8
32.9
37.6
. .
Scale reading
4358
46° 32'
46° 35.8'
46° 38.1'
46° 22.2'
46° 40'
46° 38'
46° 28'
46° 33'
46° 34'
46° 49'
46° 33.3'
5460
44° 38'
44° 40'
44° 32'
44° 28'
44° 45'
44° 44'
44° 34'
44° 39'
44° 40'
44° 54'
44° 39'
Refractive index
n4358
1.47166
1.47130
1.47108
1.47265
1.47089
1.47109
1.47207
1.47158
1.47148
1.47000
1.47155
n5460
1.46305
1.46285
1.46365
1.46405
1.46236
1.46246
1.46345
1.46296
1.46285
1.46147
1.46296
n4358—n5460
.00861
.00845
.00843
.00860
.00853
.00863
.00862
.00862
.00863
.00853
.00859
R.I.
n D
1.4542
1.4540
1.4545
1.4540
1.4533
1.4537
1.4538
1.4541
1.4540
1.4530
1.4549
154
The Refractive Dispersion of Ghee
TABLE V
Neutralization of ghee
Sample
1. Mixed ghee . .
2. „ neutralized .
3. Buffalo
ghee
(Murrah)
4.
„ neutralized
5. Sindhi cow ghee .
6. „ neutralized .
7. Ayrshire cow ghee .
8. „ neutralized .
Refractive index n
n4358
1.47247
1.47287
1.47130
1.47181
1.47256
1.47235
1.47221
1.47205
n5460
1.46375
1.46434
1.46266
1.46325
1.46385
1.46385
1.46365
1.46348
n 4358—
n 5460
.00872
.00853
.00864
.00856
.00871
.00850
.00856
.00850
Acidity
(per cent.
oleic)
4.5
. .
2.6
1.1
. .
1.4
. .
R. I. n D
1.4540
1.4546
1.4530
1.4534
1.4542
1.4543
1.4539
1.4543
R. M.
value
24.0
. .
. .
26.7
. .
26.9
..
P. V.
0.86
. .
1.3
. .
1.7
. .
0.6
. .
The dispersion is lowered still further so that no useful purpose is served by neutralizing ghee
to study its purity.
The main part of the study was to find out if this constant could be used to detect adulteration.
Four oils were used as seen from Table VI.
TABLE VI
Adulterants of ghee
Sample
1. Groundnut oil . . . . . . .
2. Coconut oil . . . . . . . . . . ..
3. Hardened groundnut oil I . . . . .
4.
„
„
II .
.
.
Scale reading
4358
44° 57.5'
47° 30.0'
45° 19.7'
45° 35.8'
5460
43° 10'
45° 30'
43° 29'
43° 44'
Refractive index
n4358
1.48098
1.46596
1.47881
1.47721
n5460
1.47178
1.45788
1.46990
1.46841
n4358—
n5460
.00920
.00808
.00891
.00880
R.I.
n D
1.4625
1.4489
1.4601
1.4593
The two hardened oils have much the same dispersion as ghee : mixtures of these with ghee were
accordingly studied (Table VII).
TABLE VII
Artificial adulteration with hydrogenated groundnut oil
Sample
1. Hydrogenated oil I
2. 5 per cent + good old ghee
3. 10 per cent + good old ghee
4. 15 per cent + good old ghee
5. 20 per cent + good old ghee
6. Hydrogenated oil II
7. 5 per cent + good old ghee
8. 10 per cent+good old ghee
9. 15 per cent+good old ghee
10. 20 per cent+good old ghee
11. Sample of ghee used in above
adulteration
Main scale reading
4358
45° 19.7'
46° 30.5'
46° 24.7'
46° 19.6'
46° 18.4'
45° 35.8'
46° 33.1'
46° 26.8'
46° 25.3'
46° 21.2'
46° 35.8'
5460
43° 29'
44° 35'
44° 30'
44° 26'
44° 24'
43° 44'
44° 38'
44° 32'
44° 31'
44° 28'
44° 42'
Refractive index
n 4358
1.47881
1.47182
1.47241
1.47291
1.47312
1.47721
1.47156
1.47219
1.47234
1.47275
1.47130
n5460
1.46990
1.46335
1.46385
1.46425
1.46444
1.46841
1.46305
1.46365
1.46375
1.46405
1.46266
n 4358—
n 5460
.00891
.00847
.00856
.00866
.00868
.00880
.00851
.00854
.00859
.00870
.00864
R.I.
1.4601
1.4540
1.4541
1.4545
1.4550
1.4593
1.4538
1.4540
1.4544
1.4546
1.4530
K. T. ACHAYA AND B. N.
BANERJEE
155
The results show a sharp fall in dispersion which thereafter rises. It seems difficult to explain
this phenomenon, especially considering the similar dispersions of the hydrogenated oils and ghee.
Promising results were however obtained with groundnut oil, which may be considered as a
typical unsaturated oil with a high dispersion, and coconut oil, the only common oil with a disper-
sion below that of ghee. The results show mathematical behaviour and are therefore capable of
practical application (Tables VIII, IX and X).
TABLE VIII
Adulteration with coconut oil
Sample
1. Pure ghee
2. 5 per cent adulteration
3. 10 per cent adulteration
4. 15 per cent adulteration.
5. 20 per cent adulteration
6. Pure coconut oil
Scale reading
4358
46° 19.6'
46° 22.8'
46° 26.1'
46° 31.2'
46° 34.5'
47° 30'
5460
44° 27'
44° 30'
44° 33'
44° 38'
44° 41'
45° 30'
Refractive index
n 4358
1.47291
1.47258
1.47226
1.47175
1.47143
1.46596
n 5460
1.46415
1.46385
1.46355
1.46305
1.46275
1.45788
n4358—
n 5460
.00876
.00873
.00871
.00870
.00868
.00808
Refractive
index
1.4543
1.4540
1.4537
1.4534
1.4532
1.4489
TABLE IX
Adulteration with ground nut oil
Sample
1. Pure ghee
2. 5 per cent adulteration
3. 10 per cent adulteration
4. 15 per cent adulteration
5. 20 per cent adulteration
6. Pure groundnut oil
Scale reading
4358
46° 19.6'
46° 15.4'
46° 8.8'
46° 5.5'
46° 1.1'
44° 57.5'
5460
44' 27'
44° 23'
44° 17'
44° 14'
44° 10'
43° 10'
Refractive index
n 4358
1.47291
1.47332
1.47397
1.47429
1.47472
1.48098
n5460
1.46415
1.46454
1.46514
1.46544
1.46584
1.47178
n 4358—
n 5460
.00876
.00878
.00883
.00885
.00888
.00920
Refractive
index
1.4543
1.4547
1.4551
1.4555
1.4559
1.4625
TABLE X
Adulteration with 1 : 1 mixture of oils
Sample
1. Pure ghee
2. 5 per cent adulteration
3. 10 per cent adulteration
4. 15 per cent adulteration
5. 20 per cent adulteration
6. 1:1 mixture of coconut and
groundnut oils
Scale reading
4358
46° 19.6'
46° 18.7'
46° 17.8'
46° 17.8'
46° 16.7'
46° 5.8'
5460
44° 27'
44° 26'
44° 25'
44° 25'
44° 24'
44° 12'
Refractive index
n 4358
1.47291
1.47300
1.47308
1.47308
1.47317
1.47426
n 5460
1.46415
1.46425
1.46434
1.46434
1.46444
1.46564
n 4358—
n 5460
.00876
.00875
.00874
.00874
.00873
.00862
Refractive
index
1.4543
1.4544
1.4545
1.4546
1.4547
1.4558
F
156
The Refractive Dispersion of Ghee
Fig. 1.—Adulteration with oils.
While individually only about 25 per cent of groundnut and 40 of coconut oil may be recognized
in ghee, and a 1 : 1 mixture may, on the strength of dispersion alone, pass off as ghee, by a combina-
tion of procedure a very small quantity of either may be detected. The procedure may be followed
on Fig. 2. Take 20 drops of a ghee adulterated with say 10 per cent of coconut oil. Plot the R. I.—
dispersion points of the ghee A, coconut oil B and groundnut oil C. Any further addition of coconut
oil will give points lying on the line AB ; but any addition of groundnut oil drop by drop will give
dispersion and R. I. figures that may be plotted X, Y, Z, etc. The point, here Y, where this graph
cuts the line AD, where D is the mid-point of BC and indicates the R. I. dispersion location of a
1 : 1 mixture of oils, indicates the extent of adulteration. Similarly other degrees of dispersion may
be worked out.
K. T. ACHAYA AND B. N.
BANERJEE
157
Fig. 2.—Adulteration ghee on further adulteration.
The limitations of the method are that some idea of the type of adulterant used is necessary ;
that it fails with mixed adulterants and with hydrogenated fats ; and that much skill and experience
as well as fine temperature control are needed to obtain and measure the very sensitive changes of
dispersion that occur.
F-2
158
The Refractive Dispersion of Ghee
SUMMARY
1. The dispersion of ghee from the buffalo has been studied. The value for pure ghee is very
constant and averages 0.00876.
2. Rancidification lowers the value ; neutralization of rancid ghee further lowers the dispersion
but raises the refractive index.
3. The R.M. value has no correlation with dispersion, unlike the R. I.
4. Adulteration with hydrogenated oils cannot be detected nor with oil-mixtures. Single oil
adulterants can be detected with accuracy by a suggested system of combination.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
We wish to thank the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research for a scheme
rk under
which the results were obtained, and Prof. V. Subrahmanyan for his interest in their progress.
REFERENCES
Athavale, V. T. and Jatkar, S. K. K. (1938). J. Indian Inst. Sci. 21-A, 15
Fryer, P. J. and Weston, F. E. (1918). Analyst. 43, 311
Godbole, N. N. and Sadgopal (1939) Butterfat (ghee), Benares
International Critical Tables, 1930, 7
Rangappa, K. S. and Banerjee, B. N. (1946). 15,65,98.
Szalaygi, K. (1914). Biochem. Zts. 66,173
A STUDY OF VITAMIN A IN BUFFALO'S MILK THROUGHOUT A
LACTATION
By LAL CHAND DHARMANI, Offg. Agricultural Chemist and JIWAN DAS CHOPRA, Assistant
Agricultural Chemist, Punjab Agricultural College, Lyallpur
(Received for publication on 26 October 1945)
A S regards cow's milk the observations of Banerjee and Kothavalla [1940] are that the carotene
and vitamin-A contents of butter fat decrease slightly on feeding oilcakes and increase with
food rich in carbohydrates and with green grass. Seshan and Sen [1942] have shown that the in-
creased carotene in feed is followed by increased carotene and vitamin-A potency of cow's milks
whereas Dalip Singh and Fateh Mohammad have observed that vitamin-A value of cow's milk cannot
be increased beyond a certain limit. The average vitamin-A value of cow's butter was found 17.7
I.U. per gram of fat and for ghee 14.1 I.U. by Majumdar [1941].
In India the buffalo supplies the bulk of the milk and milk products and is the main dairy animal
of the country. Much information about the vitamin-A content of buffalo's milk does not exist.
The results given in this paper are the outcome of the work conducted on the vitamin-A potency of
the milk during the entire lactation of 12 buffaloes.
EXPERIMENTAL
Twelve buffaloes of Nili breed were selected and were divided into three groups, A, B and C,
with four animals in each group. Group A was fed K25/289 fuzzy American cottonseed, group B
K25/289 delinted American cottonseed and Group C desi cotton seed. Records were kept of (a)
the live weight and food intake of the buffaloes, (b) the yield and the fat percentage of milk and (c)
the nutritive value of milk in vitamin-A potency. Particulars of these buffaloes are given in Table I.
All of them calved in September at various dates except Nos. 2 and 4 which calved in October. They
were approximately of the same weights and age, and also similar otherwise.
LAL CHAND DHARMANI AND JIWAN DAS CHOPRA 159
TABLE I
Particulars of the buffaloes
Buffalow
No.
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
No. of.
lactation
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
Date of
calving
23-9-43
6-10-43
29-9-43
12-10-43
23-9-43
15-9-43
19-9-43
22-8-43
2-9-43
15-9-43
3-9-43
21-9-43
1st
lactation
4362
3823
4806
4725
3835
4503
1973
4162
4738
3289
. .
. .
Milk yields in pounds
2nd
lactation
4790
4473
5480
4844
2459
4623
5319
3509
4556
4757
3841
4191
3rd
lactation
5554
4166
5860
4261
5124
4445
4727
3115
4094
5113
4700
. .
4th
lactation
6654
3334
7207
5671
5073
5019
7691
4259
3689
Died
4961
5698
Average body weight in lb.
Before
experiment
1275
1282
1355
1254
1280
1220
1119
1259
1209
1374
1364
1226
After
experiment
1271
1358
1379
1338
1482
1310
1239
1324
1272
Died
1396
1245
During the experimental period all the animals received the same green fodder and dry roughages.
Green fodder was given ad lib, which was about 110 to 130 lb. daily per animal. Green maize was
given with about 5 lb. of wheat bhusa, during November and December. 1943. From January to
May 1944 green berseem was fed with about 10 lb). of wheat bhusa daily. In addition to the above
mentioned roughages, all the animals were given as much cotton seed as they could eat, together
with 1 lb. of ground gram and 1 lb. of wheat bran per head p day.
The four buffaloes in group A which were fed on fuzzy American cotton seed ate regularly about
6 lb. of cottonseeds per head per day throughout the entire lactation. Of the four buffaloes in
group B which were fed on delinted American cottonseed two ate 4 lb. of the seed while the other
two would not take more than 2 lb. per head per day. The animals in group C which were fed on
desi cotton seed ate up to 8 lb. of cotton seed per head per day. All the animals maintained normal
weight with slight increase throughout the period under experiment, their health was excellent, and
the yield in every case normal except for animal No. 10 of group C, which died of mammitis.
The chemical composition of the cottonseeds fed is given in Table II.
TABLE II
Chemical composition of cottonseeds
–
Fuzzy American cotton-
seed
Delinted American cotton-
seed
Desi cotton seed . .
Mois-
ture
per-
centage
7.0
6.5
7.0
Dry
matter
per-
centage
93.0
93.5
93.0
Ash
per-
centage
4.6
4.9
4.9
Fat
per-
centage
19.3
18.7
17.5
Fibre
per-
centage
26.5
22.9
21.5
Protein
per-
centage
16.4
17.7
15.0
Nitro-
gen-
free
extract
per-
centage
26.2
29.3
34.1
Total
digest-
ible
nutrient
in lb.
75.3
73.7
73.9
Digest-
ible
protein
in lb.
10.1
10.8
8.1
Albumi-
noid
ratio
6.1
5.9
8.6
There is not much difference in the composition of the three types of cottonseeds fed to the
animals but the food value of the fuzzy cottonseed is higher than that of the other two.
160
A Study of Vitamin A in Buffaloes' Milk throughout a Lactation
The composite samples of milk were analysed daily for fat, both morning and evening. The
average milk yield and fat percentage are given in Table III. The fat percentage in milk was esti-
mated by Gerber's method.
TABLE III
Average milk yield and fat percentage during different periods.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Period
November
December
January .
.
.
.
February
March
.
.
.
.
April
....
May
.
.
.
.
June
.
.
.
.
July
.
.
.
.
August .
.
.
.
September
October .
.
.
.
Milk yield in pounds
Group
A
20.9
20.3
20.1
19.4
18.7
1 0
15.0
13.7
12.5
13.4
10.7
8.5
Group
B
19.0
20.4
21.8
20.2
19.7
17.8
16.8
13.2
11.3
10.1
8.4
8.7
Group
C
20.1
21.6
21.1
19.9
18.2
16.3
14.6
12.6
10.7
9.8
6.6
4.6
Fat percentago
Group
A
7.7
7.9
8.1
7.8
8.0
8.1
8.6
9.0
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
Group
B
7.1
7.3
7.7
7.4
7.6
7.6
8.0
8.4
8.9
9.1
9.2
8.8
Group
C
7.4
7.8
8.4
8.4
7.8
7.8
9.0
9.1
9.4
9.6
9.6
9.2
From the data given above it appears that there is not much difference in the milk yield and fat
percentage when the animals were fed with different cottonseeds. There was a gradual decrease
in yield and increase in fat percentage in milk with the advance in lactation.
METHODS OF ANALYSIS
Vitamin-A. Since the spectrographic equipment was not available, the vitamin-A determina
tions were based on the Carr and Price antimony trichloride reaction. The method followed was
of Willsteadt and With. To 100 c.c. of well-shaken milk 1/10 of its volume of 60 per cent potassium
hydroxide solution was added. The flask was filled with nitrogen. stoppered and vigorously shaken
and kept aside for 48 hours with occasional shaking. After that 20 c.c. alcohol were added and
162
A Study of Vitamin-A in Buffaloes' Milk throughout a Lactation
TABLE V
Fat percentage in milk
Date
4th November . . .
12th November. . .
19th November. . .
26th November. . .
3rd December
....
10th December. . .
17 th December
5th January
....
13th January
....
20th January
....
26th January
....
3rd February
....
10th February. . .
17th February. . .
25th February. . .
3rd March
....
11th March
....
24th March
....
18 t April
....
8th April
....
28th April
....
5th May
12th May
.
.
.
19th May
....
26th May
....
9th June
.
.
.
16th June
....
23rd June
....
1st July
15th July . . .
22nd
July
.
.
.
29th July . . .
Buffaloes
Group A
1
7.7
7.1
8.0
7.6
7.1
8.1
8.4
7.1
7.7
7.4
7.4
7.2
7.2
6.9
7.4
7.0
7.7
7.6
7.1
7.5
7.9
8.4
8.4
8.3
8.0
8.0
8.3
9.5
9.1
9.5
9.7
9.7
2
6.7
6.8
8.0
8.0
7.4
9.4
8.6
9.0
8.2
9.1
4
6
8.0
7.9
7.9
8.3
8.6
8.0
7.4
8.6
8.1
8.8
9.1
8.7
8.4
10.5
9.1
10.3
9.3
9.3
9.4
10.2
3
0.8
6.5
7.9
6.9
7.0
8.0
8.1
7.5
9.0
7.8
7.4
7.0
6.9
6.5
6.8
7.1
71
6.8
7.2
7.3
7.9
7.6
7.9
8.2
9.2
8.0
8.7
8.3
. .
8.6
9.7
9.0
4
7.1
8.4
7.9
9.2
6.9
9.0
9.5
8.2
8.4
9.0
8.9
8.7
8.2
7.6
8.2
8.4
8.7
8.6
9.1
9.2
9.0
8.9
9.3
9.3
9.0
9.9
9.9
9.7
9.7
9.9
10.0
9.7
Group B
5
6.2
5.7
7.5
7.9
7.2
7.2
. .
7.3
7.3
7.1
6.9
7.3
6.6
6.1
6.4
6.9
7.0
7.0
7.2
7.6
7.4
7.4
7.3
7.4
7.6
7.6
8.8
8.6
8.5
8.3
8.5
6
6.1
6.2
6.5
7.5
6.8
7.5
7.6
8.1
8.2
8.2
7.5
6.9
7.2
6.7
6.7
8.3
8.1
7.0
7.4
7.7
. .
8.8
8.6
8.3
8.2
9.2
8.3
8.8
8.9
8.8
9.0
9.2
7
6.2
6.2
6.7
7.8
7.2
7.0
7.8
7.1
7.3
6.1
7.4
7.1
7.4
6.3
6.8
7.0
6.5
6.5
7.2
7.2
. .
7.5
7.8
7.6
7.4
7.5
7.0
8.5
7.7
. .
8.2
8.2
8
8.3
8.0
9.1
9.1
8.0
7.9
9.0
9.0
8.2
9.4
9.4
8.4
10.5
8.4
8.5
8.4
8.9
9.2
7.4
9.2
9.4
8.6
9.8
8.5
. .
10.4
9.2
9.9
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.7
Group C
9
7.4
7.5
7.4
7.6
7.8
6.7
7.6
7.5
7.8
7.9
8.5
7.6
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
6.7
6.4
7.5
7.1
6.3
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .. .
. .
. .. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
11
6.9
6.9
6.9
6.5
6.9
9.5
9.8
7.6
8.6
7.6
9.0
7.7
7.3
7.1
7.2
7.7
7.7
7.5
8.2
8.7
8.2
9.6
. .
9.1
8.5
8.7
9.7
8.9
10.1
9.8
9.6
12
7.3
7.4
7.1
8.6
7.4
7.9
8.0
7.7
7.8
9.3
8.5
7.9
7.3
7.4
7.1
7.6
7.4
8.2
8.2
8.4
8.6
8.4
8.6
9.3
. .
8.7
9.2
8.5
7.8
10.2
9.8
9.5
LAL CHAND DHARMANI AND JIWAN DAS CHOPRA 163
TABLE VI
Average fat percentage and Moore blue units per 100 c.c. milk and per gram fat
Buffalo No
Moore blue units . . .
Fat percentage
Moore blue units per gram of
atter fat.
Group A
1
184
8.0
23.0
2
223
8.3
26.8
3
199
7.6
26.3
4
211
8.0
26.3
Group B
5
196
7.3
26.8
6
191
7.8
25.0
7
180
7.2
25.0
8
206
8.9
23.2
Group C
9
183
7.6
24.0
10
215
6.8
31.0
11
197
8.2
24.0
12
213
8.2
26.0
Moore blue units per gram of fat. are given in Table VII for the whole lactation of the twelve
buffaloes.
TABLE VII
Moore blue units per gram of fat
Date
4th November . . .
12th November. . .
19th November. . .
26th November. . .
3rd December
....
10th December. . .
17th December. . .
5th January .
.
.
.
13th January .
.
.
.
20th January
....
26th January
....
3rd February
....
10th February. . .
17th February. . .
25th February. . .
3rd March
.
.
.
.
11th March . . .
24th March
.
.
.
1st April
.
.
.
.
8th April
.
.
.
28th April
....
5th May
.....
12th May . . .
19th May . . .
26th May . . .
9th June
....
16th June . . .
23rd June
.
.
.
1stJuly
.
.
.
15th July . . .
22nd July . . .
29th July
.
.
.
Buffaloes
Group A
1
21.1
24.6
22.0
23.0
26.6
24.7
20.8
26.4
24.3
25.0
22.0
23.7
27.2
26.5
22.0
29.0
26.0
26.8
29.0
28.3
35.3
21.8
24.9
24.1
26.5
22.0
22.7
21.7
21.0
22.3
29.0
20.3
2
22.4
23.9
20.3
26.7
23.8
26.6
27.6
25.0
25.9
21.0
21.0
22.7
22.0
24.8
25.3
25.6
33.5
26.0
27.0
24.7
29.1
26.8
27.3
28.7
28.3
19.0
24.7
20.0
. .
34.9
31.9
32.0
3
22.0
26.9
21.9
22.0
25.0
27.7
26.2
28.3
28.0
23.9
25.3
24.1
24.6
26.2
26.9
28.4
29.4
23.7
29.5
27.4
20.0
24.7
26.5
25.9
28.5
26.0
24.4
28.4
25.4
28.9
28.7
29.0
4
24.6
20.0
20.0
23.1
25.5
26.1
21.0
27.4
22.0
22.3
20.0
21.5
23.9
25.8
27.1
30.5
28.2
24.3
23.6
23.1
. .
28.1
21.5
22.8
25.0
21.5
24.3
28.5
28.4
27.0
26.2
26.0
Group B
5
30.1
24.1
20.0
22.1
20.8
24.3
23.0
23.9
25.7
26.0
22.7
23.2
29.7
29.0
29.3
25.3
30.5
26.3
25.0
26.0
. .
23.6
26.5
25.6
28.7
23.0
24.5
31.2
33.4
35.4
34.6
33.9
6
30.0
26.7
23.8
20.0
25.7
21.6
. .
22.0
21.3
21.0
27.9
21.5
25.4
27.3
28.0
21.5
30.3
26.8
24.8
22.7
20.0
21.3
21.8
27.5
24.4
27.0
28.4
22.7
29.4
30.9
30.0
25.6
7
29.4
22.2
24.2
23.7
22.6
23.2
26.3
26.0
23.9
25.0
20.0
21.0
24.8
29.1
27.5
23.2
28.2
26.2
27.3
22.7
. .
. .
25.6
27.9
29.7
26.0
23.1
21.0
28.9
. .
28.9
30.0
8
27.1
20.0
21.1
23.0
31.0
28.5
24.3
21.0
22.0
20.0
26.4
24.7
22.5
20.0
25.6
26.5
25.6
22.1
22.8
23.1
. .
29.1
. .
. .
. .
19.0
21.0
20.0
25.4
23.4
24.3
24.3
Group C
9
28.7
26.6
22.0
22.6
22.4
26.1
21.0
25.0
21.9
22.0
20.0
22.5
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
10
29.8
25.4
23.3
22.6
25.8
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
11
25.3
27.7
28.2
28.8
25.3
20.0
21.2
. .
21.5
23.5
20.0
23.0
26.9
25.0
25.8
23.8
25.5
24.4
23.9
22.6
. .
23.4
21.0
. .
22.0
26.0
22.5
22.0
28.1
. .
26.7
. .
12
22.2
23.6
24.6
23.2
25.0
25.8
24.5
. .
22.4
24.9
22.0
22.5
30.5
30.1
23.9
24.1
26.2
22.3
23.9
23.8
26.0
29.8
21.8
28.1
. .
27.1
22.3
27.5
. .
28.5
31.5
31.7
G
166
A Study of Vitamin-A in Buffaloes' Milk throughout a Lactation
The average output of vitamin-A in milk is 4 to 5 milligrams per day. From the data given
above there appears to be a response of vitamin-A output in milk when the amount of carotene
intake is greater. Thus with the increased intake there is a greater output in vitamin-A in milk.
It is not possible to enrich the milk beyond a certain limit by feeding carotene-rich feeds. More
work will be undertaken to confirm the results.
With a high level of carotene intake the percentage of vitamin-A transmitted in milk is very
small. It is interesting to note that each of the buffaloes has, during the entire lactation, yielded
less vitamin-A than one day intake of carotene. Though the yield of milk fell at the end of lacta-
tion there was no obvious drop in the output of vitamin-A in the milk. The average take of caro-
tene per pound of live weight of the buffalo is 2.5 mg., when green fodder is fed ad lib The mini-
mum requirements of carotene for buffaloes will be investigated in the near future.
SUMMARY
A full lactation period of a herd of 12 buffaloes in their fourth lactation is described. The
buffaloes were fed definite amounts of fuzzy, delinted American cottonseed and Indian cottonseeds
with green fodder ad libitum.
There was no difference in the quality and the quantity of milk produced when the buffaloes
were fed with the three different types of cottonseeds.
There was a general, though by no means an exact, relationship between the butter fat and
vitamin-A potency of the milk. The vitamin-A value per gram of butter fat in the buffalo's milk
was 23 to 27 in Moore blue units, which is identical with that of cow's milk.
Carotene was almost absent in the buffalo milk, but the milk had a higher vitamin-A potency
than cow's milk.
Increased carotene intake by the buffaloes was followed by the increased vitamin-A potency
of milk.
The amount of vitamin-A transmitted to buffalo's milk was very small as compared with the
intake of carotene, when green fodder was fed ad libitum.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to express their indebtedness to Dr P. E. Lander, the late Agricultural Chemist
to Government, Punjab, and Dr R. Narain, the late Assistant Agricultural Chemist, for their interest
in the problem and for providing the necessary facilities and for their valuable help during the course
of this investigation.
REFERENCES
Banerjee and Kothavalla (1940). Indian J. vet. Sci. 10, 63
Bartlett, Henry, Cotton and Kon (1938). J. Dairy Research 9, 273
Carr and Price (1926). J. Biochem. 20, 497
Dalip Singh and Fateh Mohammad. Ind. J. vet. Sci. 15, 57.
Ferguson and Bishop (1936). Analyst 61, 515
Majumdar (1941). Indian J. vet. Sci. 11, 329
Seshan and Sen (1942). J. agric. Sci. 32, 286
Willsteadt and With (1938). Zeitschrift fur Physiolog. Chemic Bd. 253, 133