VITAMINS�Unit-3

By: Dr Sonam Bhatt

Asstt Professor

Veterinary Medicine

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Vitamin B-Complex deficiency

• Thiamine
• Riboflavin
• Pantothenic acid
• Pyridoxine
• Biotin &
• Folic acid
• B-Complex Synthesized by other means
• Nicotinic acid

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INTRODUCTION

• Source: A significant amount of readily fermentable carbohydrate causes increase synthesis of most of Vit B- complex
• Degree of synthesis governed by the composition of the ration
• Causes: Lack of ruminal activity – in young calf & lamb
• Inadequate supply of this vitamins
• Deprived from colostrum & milk- good source of water soluble vitamins ( Ewes milk are much richer than cow milk)
• Prolong use of antibiotic & sulphonamide through oral route causes reduction of bacterial population, alter the synthesis of vitamin B-complex

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Thiamin Deficiency ( Vit. B₁) ( Aneurin)�

• Causes: Microbial synthesis in alimentary canal but not sufficient to avoid the dietary supply
• Thiamin is relatively unstable & easily destroyed by cooking
• Coccidiostat amprolium is thiamine antagonist
• It also occurs in pigs feeding bracken rhizomes
• Also reported in horse when fed large quantity of turnips ( beta vulgaris ) without feeding adequate grain

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Thiaminase: Secondary thiamine deficiency recorded in horse when ingestion of excessive quantity of bracken fern ( pteridium aquilinum) & horse tail ( Equisetum arvense) causes nervous sign due to high content of thiaminase in these plants

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• Thiamine act as co-carboxylase in the metabolism of fat, carbohydrate & protein and deficiency of this vitamin leads to accumulation of endogenous pyruvate (precursor of vitamin B1)
• Polioencephalomalacia has been produced experimentally in pre-ruminant lamb on thiamin deficient diet
• Deficiency causes decrease in erythrocyte prescursor & erythrocyte transketolase which is responsible for maintenance of alimentary & circulatory system.

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PATHOGENESIS

HORSES

• In-coordination in gait
• Falling
• Bradycardia due to cardiac irregularity
• Weakness of cardiac muscle

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POULTRY

• Anorexia, poor growth, ruffled feathers
• Signs of polyneuritis – unsteady gait, generalised paralysis may occur

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• Chicks – “STARGAZING POSTURE”, convulsion with head retraction called polyneuritis & stargazing

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CLINICAL SIGNS

Calves

• Anorexia, weakness, in-coordination, convulsions, retraction of head, severe scouring, dehydration, somnolence, loss of condition & tetanic convulsions

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• History of diet
• Clinical sign
• Clinical pathology:
• Increase in concentration of pyruvate

(Normal = 2-3µg/dl; Abnormal= 6-8 µg/dl)

• Thiamine conc. decreases in blood from normal 8-10 µg/dl to 2.5-3µg/dl; in severe cases = 0.5-1µg/dl
• ECG: evidence of myocardial insufficiency

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DIAGNOSIS

• Thiamin can be given orally for 10 days & dietary abnormalities should be corrected
• Daily requirement of thiamine for monogastric animal is 30-60 μg/kg b.wt.

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TREATMENT

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Injection of Thiamine solution @ 5mg/kg b.wt. at every 6hrs interval give 3 inj then once in a day for 4-5days. Initially given I/V followed by I/M for 2-4 days

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Riboflavin deficiency/ Vitamin B₂ deficiency/ hyporiboflavinosis

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• Riboflavin is essential for cellular oxidative process in all animals
• In natural condition deficiency is rare
• Actively growing green plants & animal proteins ---good source
• Synthesized in alimentary tract by microflora in all species
• Present in the form of flavin mononucleotide

• On experimentation:
• Pigs
• Slow growth
• Frequent scouring
• Rough skin
• Matting of the hair coat with heavy sebaceous exudates
• Peculiar crippling of legs with inability to walk & marked ocular lesion including conjunctivitis, swollen eyelids & cataract
• Still birth may be high

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Clinical signs

• Calves
• Anorexia
• Poor growth
• Scour
• Excessive salivation
• Lacrimation
• Alopecia
• Hyperemia at oral commissures on the edges of the lips & around navel
• No ocular lesion

Birds

• Curled toe paralysis
• Poor growth
• Weakness, emaciation
• Leg muscles- atrophied
• Decrease in egg production
• Poor hatchability
• Dead embryo have clubbed down feathers

Nicotinic acid deficiency/ Niacin/ deficiency/ Vitamin B₃ deficiency/ hyponiacinosis

• Essential for normal carbohydrate metabolism, reduction & oxidation process
• Deficiency is important in pigs ----- feeding with corn rich diet
• Pigs feeding ration high in corn -- low content of niacin & its precursor tryptophan (precursor of niacin)
• A low feeding of protein with maize feeding also lead to niacin deficiency

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• Nicotinic acid is a derivatives of pyridine & is interchangeable with its amide nicotinamide
• Both forms are equally active

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• Nicotinamide is a component of coenzyme NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and NADP is its phosphate
• Nicotinic acid is essential in diet but also formed in small amount in the body from the essential amino acid

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Deficiency of niacin produces:

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• Black tongue in poultry
• Black tongue in dogs with ulcerative stomatitis
• Pellagra (dementia, diarrhoea, & dermatitis – the 3Ds) in humans, pigs & cats

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Pigs

• Inappetence
• Severe diarrhea
• Dirty yellow skin with severe scabby dermatitis & alopecia
• Posterior paralysis

Chicks

• Retarded growth
• Hock disorder (perosis), swollen hock & bowed legs, lameness

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Clinical signs

• Daily requirement for mature pigs are 0.1-0.4mg/kg BW
• Growing pigs required 0.6-1 mg/kg BW for optimum growth
• Oral therapeutic dose rate of nicotinic acid in pigs is 100-200 mg once in a day
• Prophylactic dose: 10-20 gm/tone of feed (All ages)
• In dogs: 0.5-0.8mg/pup; 0.25-0.4mg/dog
• Chicks : 27mg/kg of feed
• Growers: 11mg/kg of feed
• Layers : 10mg/kg of feed

Treatment

Pyridoxine Deficiency (VitAMIN B₆)

• Deficiency in pigs characterized by
• Periodic epileptiform convulsions
• In necropsy: generalized hemosiderosis with microcytic anemia
• Hyperplasia of the bone marrow & fatty infiltration of the liver
• Calves: anorexia, poor growth apathy, dull coat & alopecia
• A severe fatal epileptiform seizure occurs in some animal
• Anemia with poikilocytosis is characteristic of this deficiency in cows & calves

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• Treatment

Daily requirement of pyridoxine in the pig is 100 microgram/kg b.wt. or 1 mg/kg of solid food

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Pantothenic Acid Deficiency / VITAMIN B₃

• Synthesized in rumen of the ruminant
• Deficiency recorded mainly in pigs on ration based on corn
• Clinical Signs
• Pigs: Decreased weight gain due to anorexia and inefficient food utilization.
• Dermatitis with dark brown exudates collecting around eyes
• Patchy alopecia
• Diarrhea, ulcerative colitis
• Spastic goose-stepping gait
• Degeneration of myelin

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In experimental deficiency manifestation by

• Rough coat
• Dermatitis under the lower jaw
• Excessive nasal mucous
• Anorexia & reduced growth rate & eventually fatal

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Treatment

• Ca Pantothenate @ 500 micro gram/kg b.wt. is effective in treatment & prevention
• As feed additive 10-12 g/tone is adequate

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Biotin Deficiency / vitamin H

• Several biochemical function
• Cofactor in several enzyme system involved in carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, purine synthesis & nucleic acid metabolism
• Biotin is present in almost all plants & animal material
• Required in small amount
• Unlikely to be deficient under natural condition except in pigs due to its large requirements (300-500µg/kg BW)

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• Important for differentiation of epidermal cells which required for normal production of keratin, hoof horn & tissue
• Act as cofactor of carboxylase enzyme ------- important for gluconeogenesis and fatty acid synthesis
• Biotin elevates plasma glucose & lowers nonesterified fatty acid (involved in hepatic gluconeogenesis)

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AVIDIN

• Inhibitor of biotin

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• Eating raw eggs ----deficiency of biotin ( egg white contains a basic protein --- avidin)

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CLINICAL SIGNS:

Pigs

• Alopecia dermatitis & painful cracking of the soles & walls of hooves
• Arching of back & haunched stance with hindlegs positioned forward. This posture is known as Kangaroo sitting posture
• Birds :
• Congenital deformities like chondrodystrophy, micromelia, parrot beak
• Growing birds: broken flight feathers (feather loss), bending of metatarsal, dermatitis

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Treatment

• Basic diet for gilt contain 35-50μg/kg & addition of 350-500 μg/kg is recommended. This provide a daily intake of 4.0-5.0 mg/sow/day

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• Horses: 10-30mg/day for 6-9 months ---- treatment of weak hoof

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FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY

• A dietary source is necessary to all species & an adequate intake is provided by pasture
• Horses in training may require additional folic acid on daily basis by oral route

Treatment

• Folic acid @ 1mg /kg b.wt. orally daily for 2 weeks was used successfully for the treatment of acquired alopecia in 3 weeks old calf but spontaneous recovery was possible

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Cyanocobalamin deficiency/ VITAMIN B₁₂

• Naturally not occurs because microbial synthesis in rumen in presence of adequate cobalt & in intestine of other herbivores such as horse
• Only in primary dietary deficiency of cobalt
• It is dietary essential for pig & young calf
• Animal protein is a good source.
• Deficiency syndrome produced in young calves on a synthetic ration.

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• Clinical signs are anorexia, cessation of growth, loss of condition & muscular weakness
• The daily requirement in this condition is 20-40 μg/kg of vitamin B_12.
• For pig 10-50nmg/tonn of feed is considered to be adequate
• The vitamin is used empirically in racing horse to alleviate parasitic and dietetic anemia in these animals at dose rate of 2 μg/kg b. wt.

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ASCORBIC ACID deficiency/ VITAMIN C DEFICIENCY

• Source: Fruits, Vegetables
• Synthesized in tissues of alimentary tract of all species
• Essential for maintaining the health of connective tissue & integrity of cell wall
• It is necessary for the synthesis of collagen
• Scurvy
• Dermatoses in young calf, heavy dandruff followed by waxy crust
• Treatment: Single dose of ascorbic acid @ 3g in young calves is effective for dermatosis
• Daily oral administration of 4.5 g or 20 g ascorbic acid results in significant increase in plasma concentration
• Curative dose is 1-2g I/V or S/C for cow & 2g S/C for horse

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FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN

• A
• D
• E
• K

• Dietary deficiency or defective absorbtion from alimetary canal
• Two forms:-

Alcoholic form- Present in carotene, does not pass placental barrier

Ester form- Present in fish liver oil, crosses placental barrier & Vit A content in foetal liver

• Regeneration of visual purple ---- dim light vision
• Bone growth
• Maintenance of normal epithelial tissues

VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY

Etiology

• Primary deficiency --- absolute deficiency of vitamin A or its precursor carotene in diet
• Secondary deficiency --- Chronic disease of liver- Storage in liver

Diseases of Intestine- Conversion of Carotene to Vit A

• Poisoning with highly chlorinated napthalene --- interrupts with conversion of carotene to vitamin A
• Long term ingestion of mineral oil

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Pathogenesis

• Night Blindness: Vit A ---- stored as retinol in liver……..converted into pigment rhodopsin by rod cells …. Responsible for Dim light vision
• Oedema, keratinization & ulceration of cornea and ultimate blindness
• Increase in CSF/intracranial pressure --- convulsion and syncope in calves
• Deficiency of osteoblast cell --- bending of bones
• Atrophy of epithelial cells ---Salivary glands, urogenital tract, Skin (Scale formation & pityriasis), placental degeneration, corneal opacity, exophthalmia
• Congenital defects

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• Ocular signs: congenital xerosis, bitot’s spot, conjuctival & corneal xerosis, night blindness, xeropthalmia corneal scar
• Changes in skin: rough & dry coat with shaggy appearance, keratinization, heavy deposits of bran like scales on the skin; scaly hooves with vertical cracks are seen in horses
• Nervous sign: convulsion --- encephalopathy associated with inc. in CSF pressure – common in calves at 6-8mon of age ; blindness; ocular form of hypovitaminosis A occurs usually in yearling cattle (12-18mon)
• Congenital defects: piglets & calves – blindness, encephalopathy; Piglets- anopthalmos or micropthalmos, presence of cleft palate

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Clinical signs

• Clinical signs
• Clinical pathology :
• Plasma level 20µg/dl is minimal conc. of vit A
• Plasma carotene: in cattle: 150µg/dl are optimum (clinical sign develops when level falls to 9µg/dl)
• Increase in CSF pressure

DIAGNOSIS

Differential diagnosis

• Hypomagnesemic tetany
• Polioencephalomalacia
• Lead poisoning
• Rabies
• Pseudorabies
• Organic arsenic poisoning

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TREATMENT

• Parentral injection of vitamin A @ 440IU/kg/BW, IM
• CONTROL : 40IU/KG BW in feed

• Vit D --- anti-rachitic factor
• Caused by insufficient solar irradiation of animals or their feed.
• Clinically characterised by poor appetite & growth and in advanced cases -- osteodystrophy

Etiology :

• Lack of solar irradiation of skin
• Indoor keeping of animals, excess carotene in diet, dark skin, long fleece

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

• Variety of vit D……D2 & D3 have physiological function
• D2 – Ergosterol; D3– Cholecalciferol
• Vit D2 --- present in sun cured hay & is produced by UV irradiation of plant sterols
• Vitamin D2 is formed into D3 under the influence of Uv rays
• Vitamin D3 is synthesized from 7-dehydrocholesterol known as provitamin D3
• Provitamin ---- in gut from cholesterol
• Epidermal cells of skin --- large quantity of provitamin ---- converted into vit D3--- presence of light

Pathogenesis

VITAMIN D

Ingestion

Skin

Transported & stored

KIDNEY

1,25- dihydrocholecalciferol(1,25, DHCC)

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24, 25- dihydrocholecalciferol(1,25, DHCC)

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25- hydroxy cholecalciferol

LIVER

Transported & stored

MOST ACTIVE

• Amount of 1, 25- DHCC produced by kidney is controlled by PARATHYROID HORMONE

Clinical findings

• Stiffness
• Lameness
• Joint enlargement
• Rachitic rosary
• Rickets

TREATMENT

• Calciferol @ 11,000IU/kg BW in cattle

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Source:

• Plant
• Synthesis by microbial activity in alimentary canal
• Normally no deficiency

Cause: Impaired Bile Flow- reduces digestion, absorption of fat soluble vitamin

Characterized by- hypersensitivity, anemia, anorexia, weakness & marked increased prothrombin time

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VITAMIN K DEFICIENCY

• Clinical sign: Hemorrhagic disease - in recently weaned pig (6-15 weeks of age)
• Excessive fatal hemorrhage occurs in pigs of 30-40 days of age during castration
• S/C massive hemorrhage is more common in pigs at 40-70 days of age
• At necropsy extensive hemorrhage in the muscle of the hind limbs, forelimbs & axillar & mandibular region
• Prothrombin time & activated partial prothrombin time are prolonged along with decreased level of vitamin K dependent factors II, VII, IX & X

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Treatment:

• Minimum requirement for new born pigs is 5 μg/kg b.wt. & curative dose is four times larger
• Vit K or K₂ @ 3 mg/kg b.wt. I/M single dose is effective for blood coagulation defect
• Vitamin K₃ should be added in feed @ 25 mg/kg for 4 days is effective
• Vit. K is used in sweet clover poisoning where toxic quantities of coumarin severely depress thrombin level of blood & interfere the clotting mechanism
• Industrial poisons used for rodent control contains anticoagulant as coumarin type eg. Warfarin causes fatal hypo thrombinemia & Vit K is effective antidote

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