Effect of Biotin Deficiency on the Course of Plasmodium lophurœ Infection in Chicks

Abstract

It has generally been assumed that malnutrition decreases the resistance of the organism to malaria. The first experimental evidence to support this view is Trager's 1 , 2 recently published observation suggesting that biotin deficiency increased the severity of certain avian malaria infections. Similarly, Caldwell and György have reported that biotin deficiency will prolong Trypanosoma lewisi infections in the rat. 3

Since we had found, in experiments to be reported soon, that a deficiency in certain dietary factors which have not yet been chemically characterized has a pronounced effect on the course of Plasmodium lophurœ infections in chicks, we were interested in determining whether or not the effect of biotin deficiency on avian malaria was specific. In this communication we are reporting experiments on the relationship of biotin deficiency to the severity of P. lophurœ infections which, although the diets and experimental procedures used differed from those of Trager, confirm his findings on the specific effect of biotin.

Experimental. While P. lophurœ infections are more severe in the duck than in the chick the latter species was chosen for the following experiments because much more is known about its nutritional requirements. Because of simplicity and convenience it was decided to produce biotin deficiency for this experiment by adding dried raw egg white to a commercial chick ration. In order to be certain that the addition of egg white proteins did not in itself influence the course of the malaria, a control diet was used in which steamed egg white replaced the raw egg white. To further demonstrate whether or not biotin was the specific factor involved, 0.0001% of crystalline biotin was added to the diet containing dried raw egg white.

Twenty-five 9-day-old S.C.W. Leghorn male chicks were set out on each of the following diets: