Soy sauce as a stimulative agent in the development of beriberi in pigeons.

Abstract

Miyadera and Tsuji found that on a diet deficient in vitamin B there is a diminished gastric and intestinal secretion, but the secretory function is not lost and can be restored at once to a normal level if a suitable stimulus is present in the food. Abel and Kubota found that histamine is one of its constituents which accounts for the stimulating action of the soy sauce on the intestinal plain muscle, and that it also plays an important role in digestion as a dilating agent for the capillaries of the gastric and intestinal mucosa. Recently Kubota found that in vitro peptic and tryptic digestion of foods is stimulated from 4 to 8 times by soy sauce. Soy sauce possesses also a strong amylolytic function.

Funk reports that spontaneous cures of beri beri in rice-pigeons occur if nothing but water is given. It seems, therefore, probable, that beri beri in pigeons may be produced by some toxin absorbed from the intestinal tract. Soy sauce, in stimulating intestinal digestion and absorption, may also stimulate the production and absorption of this toxic substance.

In order to investigate this question, seven pigeons were fed on polish'ed rice and water, the latter containing five per cent of the Pekingese soy sauce. Five control pigeons were fed on polished rice and pure water. Within one month five out of the experimental pigeons developed beri beri, and of the controls none. The pigeons fed on polished rice and soy sauce and water frequently showed attempts to disgorge the rice out of their crops. One of them, while under observation, died on the 6th day in a few minutes with the symptoms of an acute intoxication, with unsuccessful attempts to disgorge the food from his crop (the latter being only half filled).