The Anti Grey Hair Vitamin, a New Factor in the Vitamin B Complex

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Abstract
From these experiments it appears evident that in addition to the known members of the vitamin B complex, the rat also needs two other factors, one a growth factor designated Bw which may be identical with the “factor W” of Elvehjem et al., the other a substance Bx required to prevent and to cure the greying of black hair. Factor Bw is soluble in phenol but not in ether in acid solution, a fact which distinguishes it from the chick anti-dermatitis factor. Bw is easily soluble in acetone and water. It is not precipitated either by phosphotungstic acid or mercuric acetate. This factor is destroyed by autoclaving for 8 hours at 120°C. If yeast is heated for 3 hours at 100°C., a considerable amount of Bw is still present. Liver and yeast are excellent sources of this substance. Factor Bx is likewise present in liver and yeast in large amounts. It is soluble in phenol but is not precipitated by phosphotungstic acid. This anti-grey-hair factor seems to be more heat labile than the growth factor Bw, evidenced by the fact that it is completely destroyed in yeast by heating for only 3 hours at 100°C. That the growth factor and the antigrey-hair factor are distinct entities is further supported by the fact that they show differences in their respective distributions in the foods tested. After this paper was read before the American Chemical Society, there appeared the communication by Oleson, Elvehjem and Hart ('39) confirming us. They conclude that this factor “is distinct from all factors of the vitamin B complex which have thus far been identified and associated with specific function in the nutrition of the rat. Further, the factor does not seem to be involved in the growth of the rat.” We also wish to add that we in new experiments have been able to show that a substance with growth-promoting properties, when tested on rats fed a Bw free diet, can be extracted with ether from and acidified liver extract (Lunde, '39). This fact seems to indicate that we are dealing with a new growth-promoting “filtrate” factor distinct from Bw, unless the Bw-factor should be present in different forms in yeast and in liver. We have also been able to show that the anti-grey-hair vitamin Bx is necessary for the normal development of the pelt of silver foxes (Lunde and Kringstad, '39 b).