TISSUE DISTRIBUTION OF PHYLLOQUINONE AND MENAQUINONE-4 IN SARDINE, SARDINOPS-MELANOSTICTUS

1. The concentrations of phylloquinone (PK) and menaquinone-4 in vario us tissues of wild and cultured sardine were measured with HPLC method s. 2. The major vitamin K in wild sardine was phylloquinone. The stoma ch and intestinal contents of wild sardine, as well as plankton (which may be consumed by wild sardine), showed a much higher level of PK th an of menaquinone-4. 3. Cultured sardine fed a menadione-supplemented feed were rich in menaquinone-4, which indicates that menadione was co nverted to menaquinone-4 in the body.4. These results suggest that eit her PK or menaquinone-4 deposited in the body are derived from food an d stored mainly in the liver.