Effect of vitamin B12 on the intermediary metabolism of chicks.

In 1953, the authors (1) reported that a decrease of thiamine and vitamin B12 was found in the blood as the result of the energy metabolism of cattle, and that the deficiency of the vitamins was com pletely protected against by a prophylactic injection of the vitamins at the beginning of the experiment. The intimate relation between both vitamins and metabolism was thus recognized for the formation of enzymic system containing thiamine in animal bodies. Vitamin B12 nutrition has since been reported on for a number of different organisms as well as the effects of the vitamin upon the low requirement of various nutrients , but few reports have appeared with reference to the enzyme-forming activity of vitamin B1 The authors have attempted to study the effects of vitamin B12 on the formation of enzymes containing thiamine, nicotinic acid and pantothenic acid, and it was confirmed that vitamin B12 may be closely related to the energy metabolism of the above-mentioned vitamins . (2)