Conversion of allyl alcohol into acrolein by rat liver

1. Acrolein was detected in rat liver suspensions incubated in the presence of allyl alcohol and allyl formate. Acrolein was determined by condensation of the distilled aldehyde with semicarbazide, followed by spectrophotometric measurement of the semicarbazone at 257nm and identification by paper chromatography. 2. The transformation of allyl alcohol into acrolein occurred in the presence of NAD(+). Inhibitors of rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase inhibited the reaction. 3. It is suggested that the hepatotoxic actions of allyl alcohol and of allyl formate on rat liver are related to their conversion into acrolein.