Effect of Aureomycin and Penicillin upon the Vitamin Requirements of the Rat

Abstract

Studies were made on the effect of aureomycin and penicillin upon the growth of weanling rats fed diets deficient in certain B vitamins. The addition of penicillin to the diet (0.01%) caused a marked stimulation in the growth of rats fed diets free of or low in thiamine, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and, to some extent, riboflavin. Aureomycin (0.01%) had a similar effect in the case of pantothenic acid and thiamine deficiencies. The effect of the antibiotics on thiamine and pyridoxine deficiencies was evident whether sucrose or dextrin was used in the diet. The inclusion of penicillin or aureomycin in the completely vitamin-supplemented basal diet had no effect upon the growth of the animals. Similar results were obtained whether the Alabama Experiment Station strain or the Rockland strain of rats was used.