Search

THE desirability of detecting incipient decomposition in shell eggs by chemical means led a number of years ago to a study of their ammonia nitrogen concentration (Jenkins, 1919; Jenkins and Hendrickson, 1918; Lythgoe, 1927; Pennington, 1912; Pennington et al., 1914 and 1916). These investigations showed that this constituent increased progressively in mixed whole eggs during cold storage. It seemed to the authors that information concerning possible variations in the concentration of this constituent in yolks and whites of individual eggs produced under controlled conditions might contribute to a better understanding of the deterioration of cottonseed eggs during cold storage. Consequently a study was made of the influence of such factors as feed, breed, fertility, and preliminary holding periods before storage upon the ammonia nitrogen content of non-cottonseed and cottonseed eggs. EXPERIMENTAL In our earlier work, the ammonia nitrogen was determined by an adaptation of Hendrickson and Swan’s (1918) aeration method . . .

THE vitamin B12 content of fresh and stored shell eggs has been determined as part of a study of changes in composition occurring when shell eggs are kept in cold storage. Losses of nutrients during holding and storage of shell eggs are of importance, because large numbers of eggs are stored for extended times and because fresh eggs are usually several days old before they are eaten. According to previous work from this laboratory, eggs stored for twelve months lost 18 percent of the niacin, 51 percent of the vitamin B6, 14 percent of the riboflavin, 8 percent of the pantothenic acid, and 27 percent of the folic acid (Evans et al., 1951b, c, 1952a, b, 1953a) but did not lose choline nor biotin (Evans et al., 1951a, 1953b). Data are herein presented which show a loss of vitamin B12 from shell eggs that had been stored for twelve months.

Little or no destruction of threonine, glycine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid occurred when soybean oil meal, soybean protein, or the protein plus sucrose, glucose, dextrin, agar-agar, gum arabic, or soybean oil was autoclaved for 4 hr. at 15 lb. pressure. A portion of each of these amino acids was “inactivated” or tied up in such a manner that the biologically active amino acid could be liberated by acid but not by in vitro trypsin and erepsin digestion. Studies with soybean protein and mixtures of soybean protein and other constituents of soybean oil meal indicated that two types of inactivation occurred during autoclaving. Protein-bound threonine, glycine, and glutamic acid reacted with sucrose or glucose (glycine to some extent with dextrin or agar-agar) to form a linkage resistant to enzymatic but not to acid digestion. Protein-bound aspartic and glutamic acids reacted with some other constituent of the protein to form a linkage resistant to trypsin and erepsin digestion in vitro but hydrolyzed by acid digestion. Part of the second carboxyl groups of protein-bound aspartic and glutamic acids are combined with ammonia as the amide and part are free. It was postulated that the free carboxyl groups react with the free amino groups of lysine and arginine and with the imidazolyl group of histidine to form a peptide-type linkage resistant to enzymatic cleavage.

THE liquid phase of the intestinal contents is important nutritionally because it is the fraction from which absorption takes place. Since this is in intimate contact with a solid phase composed of undigested feed residues, the question arose as to what effect an excess of mineral might have upon its normal composition. A study was made, therefore, of the partition of Ca and P between the liquid and solid phases of the intestinal contents of chicks fed rations adequate in Ca and P and those containing an excess of oyster shell or bone meal. Preliminary experiments were also conducted in vitro with simple systems to ascertain the nature of the effects produced. EXPERIMENTS IN VITRO Procedure Varying amounts of oyster shell, c.p. CaCO3, bone meal, or c.p. Ca3(PO4)2 (all through 300 mesh sieve) were shaken for three hours at 38°C. with a solution of Ca and P made by dissolving . . .

THE vitamin A content of fresh and stored shell eggs has been determined as part of a study of changes in composition occurring when shell eggs are kept in cold storage. Egg yolk is one of the better food sources of vitamin A, one egg furnishing 4 to 16 percent of the daily requirement (Boucher, 1941). Any losses of vitamin A from such a rich dietary source is of importance nutritionally. Large numbers of eggs are stored for extended times, and so-called fresh eggs are usually several days old before they are eaten. According to previous work from this laboratory, eggs stored for 12 months lost 18 percent of the niacin (Evans et al., 1951a), 51 percent of the vitamin B6 (Evans et al., 1951b), 14 percent of the riboflavin (Evans et al., 1952a), 8 percent of the pantothenic acid (Evans et al., 1952b), 27 percent of the folic acid . . .

IN RECENT years, it has been shown that certain phenylarsonic acid compounds increase growth rate in young chickens and turkeys (Frost 1953; Morehouse 1949). Sometimes the growth response has been in addition to that provided by antibiotics and sometimes it has not (Bird, 1952a). The exact mode of action of these compounds in promoting growth is unknown but indications are that the beneficial effects result from their action upon the intestinal microflora —as is the case with antibiotics. In applying these findings to practical feeds two arsenicals have been incorporated generally in commercial broiler feeds —3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (“3-nitro”) and p-amino phenylarsonic acid (arsanilic acid). Although these chemicals would do the same for flock-replacement pullets as for broilers, they have not been used much for the growing flock because there is less interest in fast, early growth and improved pigmentation in birds intended for egg production. Very little research has been …

SINCE certain yolk ingredients have been shown to diffuse into the whites during cold storage of cottonseed oil eggs, the question arose as to whether the pink color of the whites of such eggs could be (1) diffused normal yolk pigments, (2) the natural pigment of whites, riboflavin, modified by diffused yolk constituents, or, (3) some cottonseed oil pigment, deposited in the yolk as a result of its consumption in feed and later diffused into the whites during storage. To investigate these possibilities the following experiments were conducted. EXPERIMENTAL Absorption spectra of a normal white from a fresh egg and a normal-appearing white and pink white from stored cottonseed oil eggs are presented in Figure 1. The Beckman quartz spectrophotometer and the Cenco-Sheard Spectrophotelometer were used for the determinations. The untreated whites were filtered clear and diluted with 0.9 percent NaCl solution to obtain the proper concentrations for specific wave . . .

IT HAS been recognized for some time that poultry develops perosis if the ration is deficient in Mn or contains an excess of mineral supplements, such as bone meal or oyster shell (Wilgus, Norris, and Heuser, 1937; Schaible, Bandemer, and Davidson, 1938). It has also been shown (Bandemer and Schaible, 1942) that the concentration of insoluble Ca and P is considerably greater in the intestinal contents when chicks are fed high-mineral rations. The present study was made to determine if such insoluble material reduces the solubility of Mn and, in this manner, decreases its availability to the chick. If so, the similar effects of high-mineral and Mn-deficient rations would be explained. EXPERIMENTAL Effect of Mineral Supplements upon Mn in Solution To simplify matters, experiments were first carried out in vitro under conditions roughly approximating those in the gastrointestinal tract. Varying amounts of bone meal, c.p. Ca3(PO4)2, or oyster shell were . . .

EGGS are known to be one of the best sources of iron in the human dietary. Whether or not the iron content can be increased by feeding hens iron supplements is in dispute, according to Sherman (1935). The purpose of the following experiments, therefore, was to ascertain if any of several different iron compounds in the ration of the hen would increase the iron content of the white or yolk of her eggs. In making a critical study, it was deemed necessary to find out if eggs of individual birds or specific breeds of poultry had characteristic levels of iron and if the distribution of iron between the yolk and white was affected by storage of the eggs before analysis. PROCEDURE Analyses were made upon the separated yolks and whites of individual eggs laid before and after the feeding of various iron supplements. Except as otherwise mentioned, all eggs showing . . .

Chicks fed rations containing high levels of uncooked egg white develop a dermatitis of a pellagrous character after three or four weeks (Ringrose, Norris and Heuser, 1931). A similar condition is observed if the rations are deficient in biotin (Hegsted et al. 1940; Ansbacher and Landy, 1941). Egg white contains avidin which fixes the biotin of the ration into a complex which cannot be absorbed from the intestine. This explains the similarity of results produced by the two types of rations. As the deficiency disease progresses, the skin on the feet becomes rough and calloused and exhibits numerous hemorrhagic cracks and a dry scaliness. The corners of the mouth develop crusty scabs which spread to the area around the beak. The eyelids may become red, swollen and stuck together. In addition to these symptoms which have been previously reported, we have observed that chicks develop abnormal beaks. At first, upper . . .

Hens fed rations containing crude cottonseed oil produce eggs that develop viscous pink whites and large salmon colored yolks after six months or more of cold storage (Sherwood, 1928). Lorenz and Almquist (1934) observed that crude kapok oil, the seeds of cheeseweed (buttonweed or mallow), and other plants of the family Malvacea also caused “pink-white” storage discoloration in eggs when fed to laying hens, but that coconut, peanut, sesame, linseed, and soybean oils did not. Thompson (1934) observed color changes in stored eggs from hens fed cottonseed, peanut, soybean, or linseed meals. Because of the increasing use of fats and oils in high energy poultry rations and the scarcity of information on the production of “pink-white” eggs by feeding oils other than cottonseed to laying hens, it was decided to study a number of the more common crude vegetable oils. Each group consisted of twelve S.C. White Leghorn pullets housed . . .