The biotin status of weanling pigs fed semipurified diets as evaluated by plasma and hepatic parameters.

Twenty-four pigs were weaned at four weeks of age and fed either spray dried egg albumen (DA) or autoclaved DA (ADA) as the only protein source were used to evaluate plasma and hepatic parameters as indicators of biotin status. Pigs were fed one of four semipurified diets during the 42-day study: DA basal, DA + 1.1 g sulfamethazine/day (DA + S), ADA basal or ADA + .5 mg biotin/day (ADA + H). Autoclaving DA at 121 degrees C for 30 minutes reduced both the biotin binding properties of the avidin fraction and the trypsin inhibitor activity of DA. Pigs fed ADA and ADA + H had greater (P less than .05) liver pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1) activity and DNA concentrations, lower (P less than .05) plasma urea nitrogen levels and greater and more efficient (P less than .05) weight gain than either DA or DA + S fed pigs. Biotin supplementation further enhanced (P less than .05) liver DNA concentration but had no effect on the liver levels of RNA or total protein. Plasma levels of glucose and free fatty acids or blood levels of lactate and pyruvate were not influenced by the addition of biotin to the ADA basal diet.