A study of the effect of B vitamins at marginal and optimal levels on nitrogen retention and body composition as influenced by calorie:protein ratio.

Investigations were carried out with weanling rats to study the effect of B
vitamins at minimal and optimal levels·on nitrogen retention and body composition
resulting from feeding for 4 weeks a 15% casein diet in which the calorie:
protein ratio was modified by the inclusion of cellulose at 30% or raising the
protein to 21.5%. It was observed that the gain in weight and deposition of fat
in carcass were more with B vitamins supplement at the optimal level and
was most in the absence of cellulose in the diet. The increased supplement of
B vitamins was found to correct in part the adverse effects of cellulose addition
on N rett'ntion. Increases in the contents of nitrogen and in succinoxidase and
xanthine oxidase of liver were observed with the higher level of B vitamins.
Parallel changes in the quantities of ubiquinone and a-tocopherol were also seen.
Cel! ulose incJ usion corrected the contents of total lipids, phospholipids and
cholesterol of liver and plasma which showed a tendency to increase with the
higher level of B vitamins.