The Relative Biopotency of Fermentation Beta-Carotene, Crystalline Beta-Carotene and Vitamin A for Poultry

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IN 1957, research workers at the U. S. Department of Agriculture Northern Utilization Research and Development Division developed a procedure for producing beta-carotene (Hesseltine and Anderson, 1957; Anderson et al., 1958), by a fermentation process involving the mating of opposite types of the heterothallic mold, Blackeslea trispora. Beta-carotene is used as a source of vitamin A activity for poultry and thus the relative biopotency of this fermentation beta-carotene becomes of economic importance. It is possible that this fermentation product may have an economic advantage in comparison with other sources of vitamin A. The following studies were designed and conducted to determine the relative biopotency of this newly-developed, beta-carotene product for growing broiler-type chicks. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experiment 1: This experiment was designed to determine a suitable depletion period for the chicks fed the vitamin A deficient diet and to compare three levels of dietary vitamin A activity for the following…