Cattle were divided into three age groups:(1) younger than 3 months, (2) from 3 to 12 months and (3) older than 1 year. Total thiamine and thiamine phosphate levels in tissues, blood and rumen fluid were estimated by a thiochrome procedure.
Total thiamine level was high in heart, kidneys, pancreas, liver and spleen. The levels in cardiac, diaphragmatic and skeletal muscle were lower in group 3 than in any other group.
There was a significant correlation between the cerebral and hepatic thiaminelevels (r=0.77, n=16), Particularly, the hepatic thiamine level was affected significantly with thiamine intake.The rumen fluid thiamine level was the lowest in weanling calves. This result seemed to be related to intake and synthesis of thiamine. It was suggested that age factor might have an effect on thiamine deficiency.
The ratio of phosphate B1 to total B
1 was high in cardiac, diaphragmatic and skeletal muscle. There was no difference in it in any tissue, blood or rumen fluid among any three groups.
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