Biological vs. Chemical evaluation of toxicity and protein quality of cottonseed meals

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Abstract
Summary: Toxicological evaluation of 68 cottonseed meals in rats failed to show a direct correlation between their toxicity and their free, total or combined gossypol content. The common practice of considering the free gossypol content of cottonseed meal as a yardstick for its toxicity is questioned. There was poor correlation between biologically evaluated protein quality of cottonseed meals and their nitrogen solubility in 0.02N sodium hydroxide. Application of this chemical test for indicating the protein quality of cottonseed meals is likewise questioned on the basis of existing evidence.