Nutritional Significance of Inositol and Biotin for the Pig

During a 5-week trial, adding inositol or biotin to a basal ration containing six B-complex vitamins showed no beneficial effect on pig growth or feed efficiency. However, when sulfathalidine was added, pigs developed a syndrome including spasticity, hair loss, and skin issues, which was prevented by adding biotin. Inositol also alleviated these symptoms, possibly by stimulating intestinal biotin synthesis. Biotin and inositol are important for feed utilization efficiency, as their deficiency led to smaller gains despite the same feed intake.