S. H.
QURASHI
165
On keeping fats containing sesame oil, the inten-
sity of Villavecchia reaction tended to diminish.
In spite of this, it was possible to detect the presence
of sesame oil in ghee adulterated with 1 per cent
of hydrogenated fats containing 5 per cent sesame
oil and stored for seven months. Hence this
decrease in colour-giving property of hydrogenated
fats containing sesame cannot be a disadvantage.
Butterfat obtained by feeding excessive amounts
of sesame cake (average crude fat = 14 per cent)
did not give the Villavecchia reaction, though
there was a considerable alteration in other chemi-
cal characteristics of such butterfat. Hence a
positive test for sesame oil in ghee can safely be
relied upon to indicate the presence of hydroge-
nated fats containing sesame oil.
It is very likely that different samples of sesame
oil would give varying colour intensity in the Villa-
vecchia reaction. Also, if sesame oil, previous to
its being added to vanaspati, is heated to high
temperatures (above 225° C.), it may loose the pro-
perty of giving a positive Villavecchia test. Fur-
ther, by filtering sesame oil through different
absorbing media, like charcoal, Kiesulguhr etc.,
similar effects may be produced [cf. Gravendort,
1924]. To overcome these defects, if the idea of
adding sesame oil to hydrogenated fats is ever put
into practice, the best recourse would be to specify
that when ten grams of fat are tested by the stand-
and Villavecchia test, a colour intensity of say at
least 15 red units should be produced.
This would require an addition of only 5-7 per
cent of sesame oil to hydrogenated fats; and under
these circumstances, as shown before, the keeping
quality, flavour, etc. of these products would
hardly be affected. Addition of 1 per cent of such
fats to ghee can be detected without any difficulty
with improved Villavecchia reaction [Dastur, et al„
1943] and hence adulteration of ghee with this
medium would hardly be worth attempting.
SUMMARY
1. Addition of 5-10 per cent of sesame oil to
hydrogenated fats does not have any appreciable
adverse effect on the keeping quality of the fat.
2. Addition of 1 per cent of hydrogenated fats,
containing sesame oil in such amounts, to ghee is
easily detected with the help of improved Villa-
vecchia reaction.
3. Butterfat secreted by cows and buffaloes fed
excessive amounts of sesame cake does not give the
characteristic colour reaction for sesame oil.
REFERENCES
Dastur, N. N. Bhide, K. G., and Kothavalla, Z. R. (1943).
Indian J. Vet. Sci. & Anim. Husb. 14, 94
——
and Lea, C. M. (1940). Analyst, 66, 90
Gravendorst, C. O. (1924). Ind. Eng. Chem., 16, 47
Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Agricul-
tural Chemists, (1940), 441
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON AMOEBOTAENIA SPHENOIDES FROM
POULTRY
By S. H. QURASHI, Assistant Disease (Poultry) Investigation Officer, United Provinces
(Received for publication on 13 July, 1943)
AMOEBOTAENIA SPHENOIDES has been reported as
a very common parasite of fowls. Southwell
[1921, 1930] and Meggitt [1926, 1931] have
described this species in detail. Recently, the
writer collected a large number of these para-
sites during post-mortem examinations of fowls,
and it has been possible to obtain quite a fair
number of complete worms. The observations
made on these specimens reveal some new
facts.
Southwell [1930] mentions that the maxi-
mum length of specimens of this species is
2 mm. Bhalerao [1935] mentions the length
of this species as 2-4 mm. Usually, the length
of the specimens of this species is more than
2 mm., but, as some of the mature segments
fall off, the remaining worm shows a smaller
length. This is also the case with the smaller
immature worms. A greater variation is seen
in the number of segments. While Southwell
[1930] mentions that the number of segments
varies from 13 to 24, Bhalerao [1935] gives the
maximum number as 24. It, therefore, appears
that the specimen collected, heretofore, did
not show more than 24 proglottides. The
collection made by the writer shows that most
of the worms have a greater number of seg-
ments than 24. In fact, the number varies
from 24 to 30.
The account, hitherto given, seems to have
been based on the length of incomplete worms.
There is also a good deal of variation in the
number of testes, which have been mentioned
as 12 or more. This also does not seem to be
a fixed number. In fact, in the specimens,
which are longer than 2 mm. and in which the
number of segments is also more than 24, the
number of testes is about 9-10. The larger