Stability of bound gossypol to digestion

Summary Bound gossypol is largely unabsorbed in the rat. In cottonseed flour it is largely associated with the denatured (salt‐insoluble) protein fraction. Evaporation of an ether solution of gossypol on isolated cottonseed protein does not bind the gossypol to the protein (see reference 4) as in the moist cooking of seed. The percentages of bound gossypol, 1.9 in the rat feces and 1.74 in the flour residue, after salt extraction, are the highest reported in a biological product.