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Studies on the Thiamin Requirement of Young Swine

One Text Figure and One Plate (Four Figures)

Animal Nutrition Division, Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

Thirty-six pigs were fed autoclaved and sodium-sulfite sulfur dioxide treated basal diets with and without a supplement of thiamin. In the preliminary work on the autoclaved diets, animals developed convulsions, locomotor incoordination, paralysis, and other symptoms of malnutrition even when thiamin was given.

Animals on the sodium sulfite-sulfur dioxide treated diets without added thiamin consistently developed symptoms due to a specific lack of thiamin. These symptoms were: almost complete refusal of food with occasional vomiting, extreme emaciation, and marked lowering of body temperature. When thiamin was not added, death usually occurred within 5 weeks. Upon autopsy of these animals a very flabby heart was noted. The intestinal tract was always almost completely empty but pathological changes were not noted in every case. In some cases liver damage was noted.

When enough thiamin was added, an approximately normal rate of growth was maintained with the alleviation of all deficiency symptoms. Attempt has been made to relate data on thiamin requirements to feed intake as well as to body weight. For swine under the experimental conditions described the supplemental thiamin chloride hydrochloride requirement appears to be between 106 and 120 µg. per 100 gm. of carbohydrate and protein consumed.

Rats fed the same diets as those fed the pigs substantiated the results obtained with the pigs.