Investigation on plasma thiamine concentration in faunated and defaunated Angora goats

Ruminants do not need supplemen tation of B-complex vitamins because of the fact that the rumen microflora synthesise the vitamins (Agrawala et al., 1953; Porter, 1961). Thiamine deficiency occurs in ruminants when ruminal synthesis decreases or when thiamine is hydrolysed by thiaminase in the rumen (Rammel and Hill, 1986). Thiamine is necessary for the production of thiamine diphosphate, a coenzyme, which plays a role in the activation of transketolase. Transketolase, found in glial cells and erythrocytes, is an important enzyme involved in glucose metabolism (Meguirk, 1987). The objective of present study was to determine plasma thiamine concentration in faunated and defaunated Angora goats.