The study of thiamine requirement in broiler chickens. 1996

A A Olkowski, and H L Classen
Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

Thiamine status in response to a wide range (2 to 32 mg/kg) of dietary supplementation of thiamine was studied in male and female broiler chickens in order to understand the manifestation of marginal thiamine deficiency in chickens. Thiamine content and transketolase (TK) activity, were measured in tissues (brain, heart, liver) and blood samples from chickens at 1, 7, 14, 21, 35, and 42 days of age. There was no correlation between body weights and tissue thiamine or TK activity at 3 or 6 weeks of age. Overall thiamine supplementation did not have significant effects on TK activity in the liver (p = 0.22) or brain (p = 0.07). Males had a higher concentration of thiamine than females (p < 0.001) in livers and brains, but the level in the heart did not differ significantly between sexes. There were substantial contrasts among tissues in changes in the tissue thiamine content in response to dietary thiamine levels. Relative to day 1, unsupplemented birds' heart, brain, and liver thiamine increased by 34, 30, and 31% respectively. In response to supplementation, the heart tissue tended to accumulate thiamine at a considerably higher rate than liver or brain. Blood thiamine concentration tended to decline in unsupplemented birds and those supplemented at 2 and 4 mg/kg levels, whereas in birds supplemented with 8 mg blood thiamine level increased at day 7 and remained relatively constant for the remaining part of the trial. Supplementation at the levels of 16 and 32 mg/kg resulted in blood thiamine increasing throughout the duration of the trial. The presented data indicate that there are organ specific differences in the requirement for thiamine. The heart appears to have a higher requirement than the liver or brain. Since there are potential beneficial effects of thiamine on the heart, this subject deserves more detailed investigation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008099 Liver A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances. Livers
D008297 Male Males
D009206 Myocardium The muscle tissue of the HEART. It is composed of striated, involuntary muscle cells (MYOCYTES, CARDIAC) connected to form the contractile pump to generate blood flow. Muscle, Cardiac,Muscle, Heart,Cardiac Muscle,Myocardia,Cardiac Muscles,Heart Muscle,Heart Muscles,Muscles, Cardiac,Muscles, Heart
D009751 Nutritional Requirements The amounts of various substances in food needed by an organism to sustain healthy life. Dietary Requirements,Nutrition Requirements,Dietary Requirement,Nutrition Requirement,Nutritional Requirement,Requirement, Dietary,Requirement, Nutrition,Requirement, Nutritional,Requirements, Dietary,Requirements, Nutrition,Requirements, Nutritional
D009752 Nutritional Status State of the body in relation to the consumption and utilization of nutrients. Nutrition Status,Status, Nutrition,Status, Nutritional
D001921 Brain The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM. Encephalon
D002645 Chickens Common name for the species Gallus gallus, the domestic fowl, in the family Phasianidae, order GALLIFORMES. It is descended from the red jungle fowl of SOUTHEAST ASIA. Gallus gallus,Gallus domesticus,Gallus gallus domesticus,Chicken
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012727 Sex Characteristics Those characteristics that distinguish one SEX from the other. The primary sex characteristics are the OVARIES and TESTES and their related hormones. Secondary sex characteristics are those which are masculine or feminine but not directly related to reproduction. Gender Characteristics,Gender Differences,Gender Dimorphism,Sex Differences,Sex Dimorphism,Sexual Dichromatism,Sexual Dimorphism,Characteristic, Gender,Characteristic, Sex,Dichromatism, Sexual,Dichromatisms, Sexual,Difference, Sex,Dimorphism, Gender,Dimorphism, Sex,Dimorphism, Sexual,Gender Characteristic,Gender Difference,Gender Dimorphisms,Sex Characteristic,Sex Difference,Sex Dimorphisms,Sexual Dichromatisms,Sexual Dimorphisms

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