The Influence of Yeast on Nitrogen Retention in Normal and Depancreatized Dogs

Abstract

One normal dog and 4 completely depancreatized dogs were fed a basal diet with additions of baker's and starch-free yeast in 4 to 6 day periods. The control dog showed a greater nitrogen retention in the yeast periods than in the control periods, amounting, in the first weeks of the experiment, to 150% of the extra nitrogen ingested in the yeast; at the end of 3 months this had decreased to 30%. Following a control period of 3 months the nitrogen retention on a subsequent yeast regime was 190% of the nitrogen contained in the yeast. The high retention was again noted after a month during which the dog had been on stock diet. The loss of nitrogen in the depancreatized dogs was less in the yeast periods than in the control periods, with no significant alteration in the D:N. There was no apparent correlation between the distribution of waste nitrogen to urine and feces and the addition of yeast to the diet.