Investigation of Possible Antivitamin B-6 Properties in Irradiation Sterilized Chicken

摘要

The purpose of the study was to determine whether irradiation (gamma or electron) or thermal processing of chicken produces factors which are antagonistic to vitamin B-6 in the diet of rats. (These methods of preservation all result in lowered vitamin B-6 contents relative to frozen chicken.) Male and female rats (156 each) were made vitamin B-6 deficient by feeding a semi-purified diet devoid of vitamin B-6. They were then repleted with various test diets containing chicken which had been preserved by one of four methods: frozen, thermally processed, electron or gamma irradiated. All repletion diets were supplemented to contain carefully controlled (marginal or high) levels of vitamin B-6. Recovery rates were monitored by growth (weight gain) and measurements of vitamin B-6-dependent blood enzymes (plasma and red cell aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase). No differences were observed in weight gain among the chicken-fed groups. The enzyme responses of rats fed frozen, thermally processed or electron irradiated chicken were similar. Responses of some of the enzymatic parameters were slightly delayed in the groups fed gamma irradiated chicken at the marginal vitamin level. No consistent differneces were observed between any of the high vitamin groups. If an antivitamin B-6 factor is present in gamma irradiated chicken, it is minimal, is detectable only under conditions of marginal vitamin B-6 status, and is overcome by added dietary pyridoxine. (Author)