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SummaryEvidence is presented to show that the Lactobacillus casei c eluate fraction is essential for normal development of the chicken embryo.

During the course of studies on the relation of biotin to congenital deformities in the chick by Couch, et al. (1948), it was observed that the hatchability of eggs from hens fed a low biotin diet would decrease to zero in four to six weeks. When these birds were switched to a practical diet, the hatchability increased to approximately 60 percent by the end of the first week and returned to normal (approximately 90 percent) by the end of the second week. The present study was initiated to determine the daily uptake of biotin by the hen’s egg after a six weeks depletion period. EXPERIMENTAL Six Single Comb White Leghorn hens were placed on a low biotin diet, B31, which was composed of sucrose 63; purified casein 18; gelatin 5; Salts IV 5; fish oil (3000A-400D) 2; soybean oil 2; Liver fraction “L” 4 (source of folic acid and unidentified . . .

SummaryA thyrotoxic condition in the chick, induced by feeding desiccated thyroid or iodinated casein was effectively counteracted either by supplementing the diet with condensed fish solubles or by the injection of reticulogen.An increased growth response was obtained upon the addition of either desiccated thyroid or iodinated casein to a ration containing adequate amounts of the known and unidentified chick growth factors.The addition of either 0.125% desiccated thyroid or 0.02 to .03% iodinated casein to the basal ration resulted in an improved assay range for the unidentified chick growth factor (s) in condensed fish solubles and reticu-logen.

Summary1. L-lyxoflavin, D-galactoflavin and isoriboflavin markedly increase the growth response of Lactobacillus casei to suboptimal amounts of riboflavin, but do not promote growth in the absence of this vitamin. Appropriate differential assays indicated that lyxoflavin was not deposited in cells of L. casei under conditions where it stimulated growth, and actually decreased the concentration of riboflavin deposited in such cells. Thus it does not serve as a partial substitute for riboflavin in L. casei, but appears to enhance the efficiency with which limited supplies of riboflavin are utilized. When riboflavin is present in excess, lyxoflavin does not increase the cell yield or the growth-rate. At higher concentrations, lyxoflavin and galactoflavin inhibit growth by acting as competitive antagonists of riboflavin. Dichlororiboflavin and isoriboflavin are ineffective as inhibitors of this organism. 2. L-lyxoflavin promotes maximum growth of Lactobacillus lactis in the absence of riboflavin, and such gro...

SummaryVitamin B12 administered orally or parenterally completely counteracted a thyrotoxic condition in chicks produced by feeding a basal ration containing 0.05% iodinated casein. A level of 0.75 γ vitamin B12 per 100 g of ration resulted in a half maximal growth response. At a level of 1.5 γ vitamin B12 per 100 g of ration the growth response after a two week test period was 88 g compared to 86 g for a group supplemented with 3% condensed fish solubles. A response of 72 g resulted from the intramuscular injection of 0.1 γ vitamin B12 per bird per day.Pure vitamin B12 can replace the animal protein factor activity of condensed fish Solubles and injectable liver preparations.

Studies were conducted to determine the effect of folic acid and vitamin B 12 on glycine toxicity. Folic acid was found effective in reversing the toxic effects of glycine. Folic acid determinations on the livers of chicks receiving glycine indicate an increased storage of the vitamin. The total creatinine content of blood, muscle, and liver is higher in folic acid-deficient birds. The possible significance of these results is discussed.

Chick embryos are known to synthesize nicotinic acid, since the newly hatched chick contains over 20 times as much of this vitamin as unincubated eggs (Snell and Quarles, 1941; Dann and Handler, 1941). Most of the increase occurs during the last half of the incubation period. Despite this synthetic capacity, which is at least partially retained by the chick (Dann and Handler, 1941; Briggs et al. 1943), growth on certain rations (Briggs et al. 1942, 1943), especially those low in tryptophane (Briggs, 1945) is markedly accelerated by addition of nicotinic acid. Under these conditions, the synthetic powers of the chick appear insufficient to furnish it with amounts of nicotinic acid required for optimal growth. Briggs (1946) recently reported that for optimal growth, turkey poults require 2 to 3 times as much dietary nicotinic acid as do chicks on a similar ration. To ascertain whether this increased requirement reflected inability of . . .

Carter and O’Brien (1939) and Hegsted, Oleson, Elvehjem, and Hart (1940) demonstrated the essential nature of vitamin B6 for growing chicks. In a more recent paper Briggs, Mills, Hegsted, Elvehjem, and Hart (1942) showed that the young chick requires from 275 to 300 micrograms of vitamin B6 for optimum growth. We wish to report here studies on the essential nature of vitamin B6 for egg production, hatchability, and maintenance of body weight in mature fowl. In preliminary trials the following synthetic basal ration was found to be satisfactory: dextrin, 58; purified casein, 18; gelatin, 5; soybean oil, 5; salts IV, 5; fish oil, 2 (400 A.O.A.C. units vitamin D, 3,000 I.U. vitamin A); kidney residue, 3; solubilized liver extract, 4. Each kilogram of ration also contained thiamin, 2 3 mg.; riboflavin, 5 mg.; calcium pantothenate, 15 mg.; nicotinic acid, 100 mg.; and choline, 2 gm. Oyster shell was supplied ad libitum.

Bird and Burkhardt (1943) presented experimental results which they interpret as indicating that soybean oil meals of superior quality have to be ascribed to the use of processing temperatures above 128°C. or to proper regulation of processing variables other than time of heating or temperature, or to the proper regulation of variables affecting the beans before processing. Clandinin et al, (1947) on the other hand, report the production of what they believe constitutes a superior soybean oil meal at an autoclave pressure of fifteen pounds (about 121°C). The present study was undertaken to determine whether or not an equally good meal could be produced from the solvent extracted raw soybean flakes used by the latter workers by processing at a lower autoclave pressure, four pounds per square inch (about 105°C). In the first trial, meals prepared by processing solvent extracted raw flakes in an autoclave at four pounds pressure, approximately . . .

SummaryL-lyxoflavin stimulates growth of chicks under these conditions. Its mode of action remains obscure. Since it has no riboflavin activity, and its growth-promoting action occurs on a ration rich in riboflavin, it is quite possible that it acts as a true vitaminlike entity. The possibility that it acts in the same manner as the known antibiotics is unlikely, since the ration contained aureomycin.