Effect of Addition of Penicillin to the Hen’s Ration on Biotin and Folic Acid Content of Eggs

Biochemical Changes in the Penicillin-Fed Chick

“…The effect of dietary penicillin on calcium absorption (Migicovsky et al, 1951), on the concentration of serum carotenoid pigments, and liver vitamin A and on the concentration of yolk biotin and folic acid (Waibel et al, 1952) suggests that the antibiotic increases (a) the amount of these nutrients available to the host or (b) the absorptive capacity of the gut wall. Either of these hypotheses explains the "vitamin-sparing" activity of antibiotics when included in diets which contain suboptimal amounts of certain vitamins (Sunde et al, 1951, Coates et al, 1951 and accounts for the observed increase in feed efficiency when antibiotics are added to simplified diets Branion and Hill, 1951).…”

“…Burgess et al (1951) found that dietary penicillin increased the liver storage of vitamin A and the blood level of carotenoid pigments in the chick. Waibel et al (1952) found that penicillin increased the deposition of biotin and folic acid in the hen's egg.…”

“…Waibel et al (1952) and Scott (1951) suggest that an alteration in the microflora of the gut improves the nutritional status or health of the host. However, the work of Anderson et al (1952), March and Biely (1952) and Rosenberg et al (1952) has not revealed any consistent influence of dietary antibiotic on the intestinal microflora.…”

The B-Vitamin Content of Eggs as Influenced by Antibiotics in the Laying Ration

“…Other than a report by Waibel et al (1952) on the effect of penicillin on the biotin and folic acid content of eggs, little is known of * Published with the approval of the Director of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station as Scientific Contribution No. 228. the effect of dietary antibiotics on the nutritive value of eggs, particularly with respect to water soluble vitamins.…”

“…Studies of these phenomena have been made with various mammals, including humans, by measuring vitamin excretion (Najjar and Holt, 1943;Denko et al, 1946;Hathaway and Lobb, 1946;Teeri et al, 1950). It has been shown also that the laying hen is a desirable animal for studying intestinal synthesis since determination of the vitamin content of the egg offers a convient means of evaluating the extent of synthesis and subsequent absorption of vitamins from the intestinal tract (Waibel et al, 1952).…”