Effect of supplemental dietary chromium or nicotinic acid on carbohydrate metabolism during basal, starvation, and refeeding periods in poults.

A series of experiments were conducted with turkey poults to ascertain the effects of supplemental chromium or excess of nicotinic acid on growth and carbohydrate metabolism. A 23% protein starter diet was selected to emphasize the effect of chromium under basal, starvation for 48 hr, and refeeding periods. Thirty percent protein diets were also used to determine if the effects were compounded by protein levels. Supplemental chromium (20 ppm) significantly increased (P less than .05) weight at 3 weeks of age of poults consuming 23% protein diets, while an additional 250 ppm of nicotinic acid had little effect on poult weight at 3 weeks (P greater than .05). Supplemental chromium did not increase (P greater than .05) feed consumption of poults consuming both 23 and 30% protein diets. Supplemental chromium increased liver glycogen at 3 weeks of age and following refeeding after the 48 hr fast (P less than .05). Blood glucose was significantly affected by starvation-refeeding (P less than .05) but was not affected by either chromium or nicotinic acid. Supplemental chromium increased (P less than .01) active glycogen synthetase, while nicotinic acid increased (P less than .01) active phosphorylase at both protein levels. Synthetase was not decreased by starvation but was increased (P less than .01) by refeeding regardless of protein level fed. Phosphorylase was not affected by a starvation-refeeding regimen. Chromium supplementation increased in the vitro incorporation of (14C) glucose into glycogen during basal, starvation and refeeding periods (P less than .01), again, regardless of protein level.