Animal protein factor

Parallel to the activities in the treatment of pernicious anemia were observations in the 1930s that most farm animals had a requirement for an unknown factor beyond the vitamins then known. The lack of this factor became apparent, eg, when chicks or pigs fed a diet with only vegetable protein evidenced slow growth rate and high mortahty. It became apparent that the requited factor, termed animal protein factor, was present in animal sources such as meat and tissue extracts, milk whey, and cow manure. Subsequent to its isolation, it was rapidly shown that vitamin B 2 is the same as animal protein factor. 

The era of feed additive antibiotics had its beginning in the late 1940 s in a classic example of serendipity. Investigators at the Lederle Laboratories were searching for a more convenient source of "animal protein factor", a substance found in liver and other animal proteins that stimulated the growth of chicks fed a vegetable diet (1). [It had already been demonstrated by workers... 

In the early 1940s nutritional studies of young animals raised on diets lacking animal proteins and maintained out of contact with their own excreta (which contained vitamin B12) demonstrated the need for "animal protein factor" which was soon shown to be the same as vitamin B12. The animal feeding experiments also demonstrated that waste liquors from streptomyces fermentations used in production of antibiotics were extremely rich in vitamin B12. Later this vitamin was recognized as a growth factor for a strain of Lactobacillus lactis which responded with half-maximum growth to as little as 0.013 pg/l(10-nM). 

APF, see under Animal protein factor ATP, see under Adenosinetriphosphate Abortion,... 

Cow manure, activity, VIII, 29 animal protein factor in, VIII, 3 factor of,... 

Vitamin Bn, see also under Animal protein factor, VIII, 42 IX, 1-26 activity, IX, 2... 

V13 Viviani, R., Marchetti, M., Rabbi, A. and Moruzzi, G. Relationship between orotic acid and animal protein factors of casein. Nature (London), 176, 464 (1955)... 

Cobalamin (V.B12 extrinsic factor, animal protein factor) represents a group of water-soluble corrinoids required in very small amounts (daily human requirement 0.005 mg V.B12). 

Fishmeals have a high mineral content (100-220 g/kg), which is of value nutritionally since it contains a high proportion of calcium and phosphorus and a munber of desirable trace minerals, including manganese, iron and iodine. They are a good source of B complex vitamins, particularly choline, B12 and riboflavin, and have enhanced nutritional value because of their content of growth factors known collectively as the animal protein factor (APE). 

Vitamin B might be called the animal-protein factor (Bukin et al., 1971). Adding vitamin Bn to plant feeds increases the assimilation of nutrients and promotes a significant increase in the productivity of livestock... 

Vitamin Bu and Growth. Vitamin B12 is essential for the growth of many animal species and is probably the principal but not necessarily the only component of the animal protein factor (Chapters 9 and 10). Preliminary reports indicate that, under certain conditions of diet and nutrition, vitamin B12 may promote growth in human beings. ... 

In connection with work on animal protein factors, it was found that chlortetracycline fermentation mash containing some vitamin Bi2 gave growth responses well above those obtained with supraoptimal levels of vitamin Bi2 alone. At the present time, both chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline are used extensively for growth stimulation and improvement of feed efficiency in poultry and hogs, and for the reduction of losses from certain disease conditions. Purified antibiotics as well as dried fermentation residues with the mycelium of Streptomyces aureofaciens are used for these purposes. Tetracyclines, used as animal feed supplements, are selling for about 60/kg. 

Several other effects of cobalamin are known. Cobalamin is an essential growth factor for several bacteria. Furthermore, it is identical with the animal protein factor, which has been noted to accompany animal proteins, but not plant proteins. Exclusive feeding of plant proteins to chickens, rats, and mice retards their growth and increases the mortality of their offspring. 

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