The effect of various diets on the metabolism of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide in the rabbit

Abstract

Change from a cabbage to an oat diet had relatively little effect on the metabolism of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide in rabbits, but change to a meat-bread diet suppressed the methylating mechanism completely, the deaminating mechanism to a large extent; no amidation of nicotinic acid occurred, as in omnivorous animals. Replacing the meat-bread by a cabbage diet restored the original metabolic condition within 3 wks. The metabolism was apparently not altered directly by the food fed, but indirectly through the effect of it up on the tissues responsible for the metabolism. On the cabbage diet, 63 cal./day were sufficient to maintain body wt; 400 cal. were insufficient on the oat diet; on the meat-bread diet 380 cal. promoted wt. gains.