A COMPARISON OF MICROBIOLOGICAL AND RADIOIMMUNOASSAY METHODS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PANTOTHENIC ACID IN FOODS

Seventy-five foods were analyzed for the vitamin pantothenic acid using a microbiological assay and a new radioimmunoassay (RIA). The food sample extract used in both assays was the result of dialysis after enzyme hydrolysis. In the method used previously, the food-enzyme mixture had been filtered.
A very high correlation (r²=.94) between the results from the RIA and the microbiological assay was found. There was a statistically significant difference between the two assay results for all foods and for the subgroups meats, breads and cereals, and fruits and vegetables at p=.05. At p = .01 breads and cereals and fruits and vegetables did not have significantly different results between the two assay methods. For all foods and all subgroups, the microbiological assay produced a higher mean result than the RIA.
The RIA is an acceptable method for assaying pantothenic acid in breads and cereals and fruits and vegetables. Futher study is needed to determine how components of meat interact with one or both assay systems.