Isolation of Factors in Linseed Oil Meal Protective against Chronic Selenosis in Rats

Two new cyanogenic glycosides, linustatin and neo­ linustatin, were isolated from linseed oil meal. Each of the compounds was fed to rats in a corn-based diet at levels of 0.1 and 0.2o/c. At the 0.2% level, both substances gave significant protection against growth depression caused by 9 ppm selenium as sodium selenite. Both com­ pounds also promoted a significant increase in liver and kidney weight over the selenium control animals. Linustatin and neolinustatin are closely related in structure to linamarin and lotaustralin and \V-ere found to be present in linseed oil meal at levels of 0.17 and 0.190/0, respectively. Lina­ marin fed at the level of 0.2% also gave significant protection against growth depression and liver damage. A related cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin, appeared to give a small but nonsignificant protective response. The isolation of the two new glycosides provides a probable explanation for the protective activity of linseed oil meal against selenium toxicity. J. Nutr. 110: 145-150, 1980.