The use of growth and liver aspartate aminotransferase to assess the effect of source of non‐essential nitrogen on pyridoxine depletion, repletion and requirements of chicks

1. Two experiments were carried out to study the relationship between growth, liver aspartate aminotransferase (Asp AT) and dietary pyridoxine to determine the pyridoxine requirement of chicks fed on diets containing crystalline essential amino acids with glutamic acid (GA) or diammonium hydrogen citrate (DAHC) as the non‐essential nitrogen source.

2. In one experiment purified diets containing isolated soy‐protein with 0 or 3 mg pyridoxine/kg were used. The deficient chicks were significantly lighter, converted food less efficiently and liver Asp AT activity was decreased. When deficient chicks were offered an adequate diet performance improved and Asp AT activity rapidly increased.

3. In the second experiment diets containing crystalline amino acids GA or DAHG combined with 0, 1 or 3 mg pyridoxine/kg (GA : 0, GA : 1, GA : 3, DAHC : 1, DAHC : 3) were used. Growth rates of chicks fed on GA : 1 and GA : 3 were similar, whereas chicks fed on DAHC : 1 were significantly lighter than those given DAHC : 3. The growth data indicated a pyridoxine requirement for chicks fed on the GA diets of not more than 1mg/kg and of more than 1 mg/kg in those fed on diets containing DAHC. Asp AT activity varied significantly with dietary content of pyridoxine but not with the nitrogen source. When Asp AT activity was used to assess pyridoxine requirements, there was no difference between chicks fed on GA or DAHC diets.

Notes

Visiting scientist from the Department of Animal Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.