Osteopathy in broiler chicks fed toxic mimosine in Leucaena leucocephala.

Further studies of mimosine toxicity in broiler chicks were done to clarify a possibility of osteopathy. The mineral content and density of femur and the strength, ductility, and toughness for the index of mechanical properties significantly decreased in the 1% mimosine group, compared with those in the control and restricted groups. The stiffness had a decreasing tendency in the 1% mimosine group. Consequently, it was concluded that chicks fed ad libitum a 1% mimosine diet for 12 days developed osteopathy. The bone mineral density and the strength of the restricted group were lower than those of the control group, and those of the 1% mimosine group were still lower than those of the restricted group. Contents of pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline in the excrement were significantly higher in the restricted group than those in the control group, but the contents in the 1% mimosine group were significantly lowest among the groups. Osteopathy in chicks fed mimosine, therefore, seemed to be done by loss of appetite and changing to a low turnover of bone caused by mimosine.