Peer review

A substance containing bound niacin was extracted with 50% ethanol-water from commercial corn gluten, a source high in the vitamin. Rat feeding tests established that the niacin in this substance, like that of whole corn, does not contribute to the animal's vitamin requirement unless it is hydrolyzed with dilute alkali. The substance was separated from extracted proteins through its insolubility in water and its nonadsorption on a cation exchange resin. The isolate contains carbohydrates and nitrogenous compounds, as well as niacin. Gel filtration chromatography or countercurrent distribution did not alter its composition significantly. Its composition indicates a complex structure.

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