Abstract
Thiamine deficiency was produced in mice experimentally on 19 kinds of casein and rice diet which contained various amounts of lysine, methionine and valine. The appearance of clinical signs of thiamine deficiency in mice on the hair, feet, cramp and growth was observed in all groups. The thiamine deficiency appeared earlier in groups fed on rice diet than those on casein diet in spite of the same ratio of protein and carbohydrate in these diets. Addition of lysine, methionine and valine to the rice diet improved the growth and delayed the occurrence of the thiamine deficiency symptoms. The effects were remarkable, especially in the case of lysine and methionine addition. This fact may be an explanation for one of the reasons why thiamine deficiency occurs frequently in people taking rice diet.
