Abstract
In a series of studies in this department concerning to the interrelationship between thiamine and magnesium, the effect of magnesium deficiency on transketolase activity was investigated. Transketolase activities in blood cells, brain, spinal cord and liver of rats on a thiamine deficient or the both thiamine and magnesium deficient diet decreased markedly. In vitro addition of thiamine pyrophosphate to tissue homogenite of thiamine deficient rats resulted in a recovery of transketolase activity. However, this phenomenon did not occur in the both thiamine and magnesium deficient rat. These findings could be due to interference of transketolase apoenzyme action. Omission of magnesium ion in reaction mixture has no effect on tissue transketolase activities of either group.
