M. Udagawa et al., CONTENT OF PHYLLOQUINONE AND MENAQUINONE DERIVATIVES IN THE ORGANS OFPELAGIC AND DEMERSAL FISHES, Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part C, Pharmacology toxicology & endocrinology, 113(3), 1996, pp. 331-334
The contents of phylloquinone (PK) and menaquinone (MK)-4, 6, 7, 8 and
9 in the different organs of four species of fishes were compared. Ma
ckerel, Scomber japonicus (Houttuyn), a typical pelagic fish, containe
d a large amount of PK but only trace amounts of MK-4 and MK-6 in the
liver and kidney. Saury, Cololabis saira (Brevoort) contained a large
amount of MK-4 in the heart and gonad, and a little PK. Marbled sole,
Limanda yokohamae (Gunther) and sillago, Sillago japonica (Temminck an
d Schlegel), demersal fish, contained relatively large amounts of MK-4
and PK but only small amounts of MK-6, 7 and 8. In marbled sole and s
illago, the contents of the gastrointestinal traces were rich in MK-lo
ng chains. While, the tissues and contents of digestive tracts of mack
erel and saury contained little MK-long chains. These findings suggest
that vitamin K in the tissues of fish originates from the food taken
in. However, a certain discrepancy between the composition pattern of
vitamin K (V. K) in the tissue and contents of the gastrointestinal tr
act might indicate that different forms of V. K are absorbed and/or ac
cumulated in the tissues in a different manner.