DETECTION OF UROCANASE IN THE BLOOD OF CHICKENS CHRONICALLY POISONED WITH TOXIC GROUNDNUT MEAL.

Chickens were fed for up to six weeks a ration containing 30 per cent of toxic groundnut meal and their controls were fed balanced commercial ration for comparable periods. Urocanase activity was determined in the blood and livers of principal and control birds killed after two, four or six weeks on these diets. Urocanase activity was detected in the blood sera of 3 out of the 9 intoxicated birds examined as early as two weeks after the initiation of the feeding trial. By the sixth week, the incidence of urocanase in the serum increased to 5 of 8 intoxicated birds. Liver urocanase concentration was uniform throughout the duration of the experiment when measured in units per gram of hepatic tissue. However, when its activity was expressed on the basis of units per total liver weight, its total activity increased toward the end of the experiment.