Abstract
We found that maternal biotin deficiency was severely teratogenic in mammals. Pregnant mice were fed a basal diet that contained the spray-dried egg white as the source of protein throughout gestation. At near term, the biotin-deficient fetuses showed various external and skeletal malformations, such as cleft palate (82.9%), micrognathia (91.2%), micromelia (41.2%), and deformities of cervical vertebral arch (24.1%). Moreover, there were striking species and strain differences in the teratogenicity of biotin deficiency among mice, rats and hamsters. At midgestation, the inhibition of palatal and limb formation by biotin deficiency was observed in mice. The biotin content of the whole embryo was about tenfold greater than liver biotin levels in their dams on day 12 of gestation. Although possible underlying mechanism for this is not clear, at least in these species, biotin is important for normal embryonic growth and development. Biotin is also said to be necessary for the birth of normal viable young and the health of young in domestic fowls and animals. This review discusses the nutritional importance of biotin to the maintenance of reproductive performance and lactation in mammals and humans.
