Synthetic Sterculene: Effect on Avian Eggs

Abstract SEVERAL cyclopropenoid compounds have been fed to laying hens (Masson et al., 1957; Nordby, 1963). These compounds had alcohol, ether, ester and hydrocarbon functional groups. Cold storage of these eggs for one month or more resulted in pink albumin, high pH of the yolk and an unusually high concentration of saturated fat in the yolk. All the derivatives tested were prepared from Sterculia foetida oil, an oil extracted from Sterculia foetida seeds. The use of a naturally occurring oil and the difficulty of obtaining pure derivatives resulted in the question being raised whether the cyclopropenoid group was the responsible agent. Sterculene (1,2-dioctyl cyclopropene) was prepared according to the following reactions: Infrared absorption bands at 5.32 and 9.87 microns were typical of cyclopropenoid compounds. Five laying hens were fed 88 mg. of sterculene dissolved in 0.5 gram of corn oil daily for 10 days in addition to a range diet (Deutschman…