Effect of Oxythiamine on the Growth of Chicks. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Oxythiamine, the 4′-OH analogue of thiamine, has been shown to be an effective thiamine antagonist in the nutrition of the chick. By increasing the level of oxythiamine fed, the chick weight was decreased until typical thiamine-deficiency symptoms occurred and death ensued. The addition of large amounts of thiamine to the diet prevented the toxicity due to oxythiamine, and the parenteral and oral administration of thiamine to oxythiamine-toxic chicks tended to overcome the inhibition.

The chick, as well as the mouse, has been shown to be very sensitive to the addition of oxythiamine to the diet. It seems probable, therefore, that oxythiamine is an antagonist of thiamine in the nutrition of all species that require this vitamin as an essential nutrient.

Evidence has been presented which indicates that the thiamine requirement of growing White Leghorn cockerels is greater in the absence of sufficient of the unidentified chick growth factors.