Abstract
Vegetable Support Doctor Plus（W. I. System Inc., Tokyo Japan）is a veterinary supplement rich in branched-chain amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants and dietary fibers that are essential in the dietary management of dogs with compromised liver function. It is manufactured by patented pulverizing and formulation technologies to achieve an ideal ratio of branched-chain amino acids to aromatic amino acids （Fischer ratio）of 3. In the present study, we developed a new reduced-pressure infrared drying method combined with ultraviolet activation for manufacturing the supplement and compared its effects to those of the conventional, warm air drying method on amino acid and vitamin compositions as well as on palatability,incidence of adverse reactions and serum biochemical profiles in dogs with liver disease. Compositional analysis showed an increase of vitamin D concentration of approximately 70 times by the new method, but the concentrations of other vitamins were unchanged. In addition, amino acid concentrations were increased by 10% to 20% or unchanged depending on the type of amino acid. However, no clinically significant changes were observed after 4 weeks of supplementation to dogs with liver disease when compared to the conventionally manufactured product.
