Endotoxin Content and Fiber Properties of Raw Cotton

Abstract

The content of endotoxin was determined for 255 samples of 1979 crop, American upland raw cotton derived from seven grade divisions and five color groups. A bale of raw cotton from the better white grades contained less than one gram ofendotoxin, whereas tinged and yellow stained cottons were found to have five or more grams of this microbial material. Fiber yellowness was significantly and positively correlated with endotoxin content of representative raw cottons from the Southwest. By con trast, the endotoxin content of representative cottons from all other major geo graphical regions was significantly and inversely correlated with fiber maturity. For the 1979 crop there was an absence of significant differences in endotoxin levels among representative sample groups from five major U.S.A. growing regions.