Influence of erythorbic acid on ascorbic acid retention and elimination in the mouse.

Large quantities of ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid were administered to Swiss mice over a period of seven months. Urinary ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid were determined two weeks before termination of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid contents in plasma, liver and brain tissues were measured. In the ascorbic acid-treated mice, there was a marked elevation in plasma and urine ascorbate levels, and there was a 38% increase of ascorbate level in the liver but there was no substantial increase in ascorbate levels in the four brain regions studied, namely the cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla and brain stem, upon large intake of ascorbic acid. In the erythorbic acid-treated mice, erythorbic acid is well absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, enters the blood stream, and is rapidly excreted in the urine. The results show that erythorbic acid is able to replace 45% of ascorbic acid in the liver and 28-39% of ascorbic acid in the brain tissues. Although erythorbic acid appears in the blood at significantly high level, it does not lower blood ascorbate levels.