Journal of Nutrition OpenSOurce Diets- www.ResearchDiets.com

Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Journal of Nutrition Vol. 114 No. 2 February 1984, pp. 312-322
Copyright
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Blalock, T. L.
Right arrow Articles by Garlich, J. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Blalock, T. L.
Right arrow Articles by Garlich, J. D.

Humoral Immunity in Chicks Experiencing Marginal Vitamin B-6 Deficiency1

Teresa L. Blalock2, J. Paul Thaxton and J. D. Garlich

Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608

An economical vitamin B-6-deficient ration that was palatable to broiler chickens was prepared and fed to 1-day-old chicks. The experimental ration was a typical soy-glucose ration. Vitamin B-6 was removed by washing the soybean meal with water. Microbiological analysis revealed that the washed ration contained 0.45 mg vitamin B-6 per kilogram. Experimental rations were formulated to contain 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 mg supplemental pyridoxine · HCl per kilogram of ration. These supplemental levels produced the following total pyridoxine concentrations in the diet: 0.95, 1.48 and 3.18 mg pyridoxine · HCl activity per kilogram of diet. Chicks were grown to 7 weeks of age and characteristic vitamin B-6 deficiency signs were quantitated and/or observed. Notable signs in chicks receiving 0.5 mg added vitamin B-6 were increased mortality, decreased body weight gain and increased incidence of abnormal leg conformation. The humoral immune system of broiler chicks that were moderately deficient in vitamin B-6 was investigated. Marginal pyridoxine deficiency caused significant reduction in antibody levels to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and relative levels of IgM and IgG during the peak and degradation phases of the primary response. During the hyperimmune response total anti-SRBC levels were not affected; however, relative levels of IgM and IgG were lowered.

KEY WORDS: • pyridoxine • vitamin B-6 deficiency • hemagglutinins • chick • immunity

1 Paper No. 8318 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608.

2 This paper is a part of the author's thesis for the Master of Science at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608.

Manuscript received 21 July 1983.




Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]