Effects of Certain Antibiotics on the Growth of Rats Fed Diets Limiting in Thiamine, Riboflavin, or Pantothenic Acid

Abstract

Penicillin, aureomycin, and streptomycin stimulated the growth of rats receiving limiting amounts of thiamine, riboflavin or pantothenic acid, as fed in bioassays for these vitamins. The antibiotics were most effective in diets that contained enough vitamin for half-maximum growth, and the growth responses due to the antibiotics were approximately equal to those observed when the vitamin content of the diet was doubled in the absence of antibiotics. The relative effectiveness of the antibiotics varied with the vitamin deficiency. In thiamine deficiency penicillin produced the greatest increases in growth; aureomycin and streptomycin produced definite but lesser increases; while chloromycetin, terramycin and 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenyl arsonic acid were inactive, and sulfasuxidine exerted a delayed effect. In riboflavin deficiency penicillin and aureomycin were equally effective; some stimulation was noted with streptomycin, chloromycetin and terramycin in the presence of a moderate level of riboflavin; 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenyl arsonic acid and sulfasuxidine appeared to be inactive. In pantothenic acid deficiency aureomycin and streptomycin were best, while penicillin was less active; the antibiotics also stimulated growth in the absence of added pantothenic acid.