INFLUENCE OF WHEAT BRAN AND ALFALFA MEAL SUPPLEMENTS ON VITAMIN-B-6 METABOLISM OF SOWS SUBJECTED TO SUBOPTIMAL VITAMIN-B-6 SUPPLY

The aim of these investigations was to examine the influence of ''natu ral fibrous feedstuffs'' as wheat bran and alfalfa meal on criteria of vitamin B-6 metabolism of adult sows subjected to a low vitamin B-6 s upply. Two experiments were conducted in two periods with 12 sows (180 kg BW) and 3 groups, each. The supplements were in the first experime nt 0 g, 225 g and 675 g wheat bran, and in the second experiment 0 g, 575 g and 1150 g alfalfa meal to a compound feed, low in vitamin B-6 c ontent. The criteria were fecal and urinary vitamin B-6 concentration and excretion, vitamin B-6 concentration in blood, hematological crite ria, activity of aspartate aminotransferase in erythrocytes (EAST) and xanthurenic acid excretion in the tryptophan load test. Vitamin B-6 c oncentration in feces amounted 10-12 mu g/g DM and was neither influen ced by quality or amount of the fibrous products. Vitamin B-6 excretio n was increased by each supplement, and 60-70% of vitamin B-6 was excr eted via feces. Fecal vitamin B-6 excretion was enlarged linearly by i ncreasing fibrous supplementation. Bacterially fermentable substrates from wheat bran induced a higher bacterial vitamin B-6 synthesis compa red to cellulose.