ABSTRACTSince certain dietary antioxidants are generally thought to protect retinol from oxidation during digestion, lignin was tested for its antioxidant properties. Inclusion of 1–10 lignin in the rat diet resulted in an increased (50–100) deposition of retinol as compared to cellulose‐fed controls. Data indicate that lignin exhibits antioxidant properties in the presence of oil and probably in the presence of other fat‐soluble substances (e.g. vitamins A and E). Animal experiments substantiate this hypothesis. Results suggest both the biochemical and chemical nature as well as the nutritional ramifications of these observations deserve further invest
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