Oral inoculation with Lactobacillus acidophilus and dietary supplementation with antibiotics were compared in broiler chicks fed various levels of biotin to determine their effect on the biotin status of the chicks. Lactobacillus acidophilus inoculation of broiler chickens fed a diet marginally deficient in biotin (56 micrograms/kg) caused a significant decrease (P less than .01) in their liver biotin content from 1596 to 931 ng/g. The decrease biotin status was confirmed by significant increases (P less than .01) in 16:1 and 18:1 plasma fatty acids and significant decreases (P less than .01) in 18:0 and 20:4 omega 6 plasma fatty acids. These alterations in fatty acids were only observed when the samples were taken from chickens in the fed condition. Supplementation with Lactobacillus caused an increased incidence of foot dermatitis and decreased growth of chickens, presumably by competing with the chicken for dietary biotin. No significant changes were noted with antibiotic feeding.
Two feeding experiments were conducted with duplicate groups of five chicks each to study the availability of biotin in spray-dried egg products. In the first experiment chicks that were fed diets containing 43% dried whole egg (DWE) grew poorly and developed perosis and dermatitis. The signs were prevented and growth improved progressively with supplementation of 0.5 and 1.0 mg biotin/kg diet. In the second experiment dried egg yolk (DEY) and dried egg white (DEW) were compared with DWE at equivalent levels of egg components. Signs of biotin deficiency and reduced growth were slightly more severe with DEW than with DWE, although liver biotin content was slightly lower at 0 and 0.5 mg biotin/kg with DWE than with DEW. Growth with DEY and no added biotin was not different from that with DEY and 500 or 1000 mg biotin/kg diet, although liver biotin was lower than when supplemental biotin was added. Liver fat was approximately five times greater in the groups receiving DWE and DEY than in the groups receiving DEW. The results show that the biotin contained in egg yolk is inadequate to counteract the deficiency of biotin caused by the avidin in egg white so that unheated dried whole egg is deficient in this vitamin.
A linear relationship (r greater than .98) was found between the level of dietary biotin and plasma and egg-yolk biotin in White Leghorn hens after feeding the experimental diets for 2 weeks. This shows high reliability of these parameters as indicators of biotin availability. When plasma and egg yolk biotin were used to assess biotin availability in feedstuffs, they indicated low values for wheat (0%) and sorghum (10 to 20%) and high values for corn (75 to 100%), soybean meal (100%), and meat and bone meal (85%). When these parameters were used to assess commercial poultry diets, they indicated values for a "layer" diet of 75 to 100% and for a "broiler" diet of 81 to 92%. Pelleting gave an increase in biotin availability of 10% over the mash diet. This method for assessing biotin availability promises to be simple, economic, rapid, and reliable.
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