CONTENTS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND VOLATILE AMINES IN DIFFERENT TISSUES OF GADOID FISH

A natural occurrence of formaldehyde with varying degrees in the amount in certain gadoid fish previously was reported (This Journal, Vol. 29, 695, 1963).Though the precursor of formaldehyde in fresh tissues has not been identified, the works hitherto published suggest a possibility of transformation of formaldehyde from trimethylamine oxide.In this connection, the writers examined the major tissues of cod, Alaska pollock, and Japanese hake (Hexagrammos stelleri) to see if their contents of formaldehyde, volatile amines, and trimethylamine oxide would have any bearings upon each other.The examination led to the findings as follows: 1. Formaldehyde was aboundantly distributed in pyloric caeca, stomach, gall bladder, and spleen, while little in muscle portion of the fish tested.2. The amount of formaldehyde in the skin was always higher than in the muscle.3.In those tissues formaldehyde showed a remarkable correlation in the content with