Alopecia in Rats Fed Certain Soybean Oil Meal Rations.

Abstract

Rats fed certain soybean oil meal rations developed a characteristic hair loss preventable by supplementation with inositol and/or biotin, or cystine or methionine. Added inositol produced no marked changes in rate of growth, but supplements of cystine and methionine markedly increased the rate of growth when added to the raw soybean oil meal basal ration; biotin supplements had a slight stimulatory effect. In some manner soybean oil meal increases the dietary requirement for biotin and/or iuositol; possible mechanisms for such action may be an alteration of the intestinal flora, some adsorptive disturbance, a vit. imbalance or the presence of anti-vits. in the soybean oil meal.