Malnutrition (Vitamin B1: Deficiency) Thiaminases

[Yin_Yang247]

Thiaminases (Vitamin B1: Deficiency)

Thiaminases are enzymes found in certain fish, shellfish, and plants. When ingested these enzymes split thiamin (Vitamin B1), an important compound in energy metabolism, and render it inactive.

In general then, excessive amounts of Thiaminase are connected with symptoms of sickness that include poor growth, loss of appetite, abdominal swelling and hemorrhage, loss of equilibrium, convulsions, muscle atrophy and a weak immune system.

The B vitamin thiamine is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates into simple glucose sugar.
Vitamin B1 is as important to animals as it is to ourselves. Without adequate supplies, humans develop a sickness called beriberi — and symptoms include lethargy, weight loss, problems with nerve control and sense organs, heart failure, and eventually death.

Thiaminases are enzymes that cleave the thiamin molecule and render it biologically inactive. Generally there are two types of thiaminases:
Type I - the most common form, this type is found in fish, shellfish, ferns and some bacteria. It acts by displacing the pyrimidine methylene group with a nitrogenous base or SH-compound to eliminate the thiazole ring.
Type II - found in certain bacteria, this type acts through the hydrolytic cleavage of the methylene-thiazole-N bond to yield pyrimidine and thiamin moieties.

While freezing does not destroy Thiaminase, heating it will. This is why cooked fish is not dangerous with regard to Thiaminase for human or animal nutrition. From the perspective of a fishkeeper, the big drawback to cooking food is that heating destroys a lot of the useful nutrients as well. While omnivorous humans compensate for that by eating a varied diet containing both raw and cooked plant and animal foods, piscivorous fish have no such option. They cannot be fed cooked fish and expected to stay healthy.

At least some types of live feeder fish will contain more Vitamin B1 than frozen foods, but the downside here is that the convenience of live foods is accompanied by a major risk of introducing pathogenic microorganisms such as Mycobacteria and endoparasites. Feeder fish are also expensive compared with frozen foods, and as will be described shortly, many of the types of feeder fish widely sold contain a great deal of Thiaminase anyway, dramatically reducing their usefulness.

Thiaminase content review

The data on Thiaminase content comes from various sources, mostly from the National research council (1982), Deutsch & Hasler (1943), Greig & Gnaedinger (1971) and Hilker & Peter (1966); see also the literature list at the end of the article. The lists are far from complete, but most of the usually marketed and so far examined species are enlisted. Although primarily based on coldwater food fish and invertebrates, Thiaminase content information exists for several tropical species widely marketed, and these been included accordingly.

(((Species that contain Thiaminase)))
Freshwater fish

Family Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps):
Common bream (Abramis brama)
Central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum)
Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides)
Spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius)
Rosy red, Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)
Olive barb (Puntius sarana)

Family Salmonidae (Salmonids):
Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
Round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum)

Family Catostomidae (Suckers):
White sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
Bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)

Family Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes):
Brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus)
Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Other families:
Bowfin (Amia calva) - family Amiidae (Bowfins)
Burbot (Lota lota) - family Lotidae (Hakes and burbots)
White bass (Morone chrysops) - family Moronidae (Temperate basses)
Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) - family Osmeridae (Smelts)
Loach, Weatherfish (Misgurnus sp.) - family Cobitidae (Loaches)

(((Species that contain Thiaminase)))
Brackish (freshwater to marine) fish

Family Clupeidae (Herrings):
Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)

Other families:
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) - family Petromyzontidae (Lampreys)
Fourhorn Sculpin (Triglopsis quadricornis) - family Cottidae (Sculpins)
Salmon (sp. indet., processed and salted, probably Oncorhynchus sp.) - family Salmonidae (Salmonids)

(((Species that contain Thiaminase)))
Marine fish

Family Engraulidae (Anchovies):
Broad-striped anchovy (Anchoa hepsetus)
Californian anchovy (Engraulis mordax)
Goldspotted grenadier anchovy (Coilia dussumieri)

Family Clupeidae (Herrings):
Atlantic herring (Clupea harrengus)
Atlantik menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus)
Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus)
Razor belly sardine (Harengula jaguana)
Sauger (Harengula jaguana)

Family Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos):
Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus)
Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Yellowfin tuna (Neothunnus macropterus)

Family Lutjanidae (Snappers):
Green jobfish (Aprion virescens)
Ruby snapper (Etelis carbunculus)
Crimson jobfish (Pristipomoides filamentosus)

Family Carangidae (Jacks):
Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis)
Doublespotted queenfish (Scomberoides lysan)
Bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus)

Family Mullidae (Goatfishes):
Red Sea goatfish (Mulloidichthys auriflamma)
Yellowstripe goatfish (Mulloidichthys samoensis)
Manybar goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus)

Other families:
American butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus) - family Stromateidae (Butterfishes)
Southern ocellated moray (Gymnothorax ocellatus) - family Muraenidae (Moray eels)
Bonefish (Albula vulpes) - family Albulidae (Bonefishes)
Milkfish (Chanos chanos) - family Chanidae (Milkfish)
Common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) - family Coryphaenidae (Dolphinfishes)
Hawaiian flagtail (Kuhlia sandvicensis) - family Kuhliidae (Aholeholes)
Black cod (sp. indet.) - family Moridae (Morid cods)
Flathead mullet (Mugil cephalus) - family Mugilidae (Mullets)
Sixfinger threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis) - family Polynemidae (Threadfins)
Regal parrot (Scarus dubius) - family Scaridae (Parrotfishes)
Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) - family Xiphiidae (Swordfish)

Invertebrates

Bivalves:
Ocean quahog (Artica islandica)
Clam (Tellina spp.)
Cherrystone, Chowder, Steamer clams (family Veneridae)
Pigtoe mussel (Pleurobema cordatum)
Scallop (Pecten grandis)
Hawaiian clam (sp. indet.; extremely high in thiaminase)
Blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

Gastropods:
Limpet (Helcioniscus sp.)

Cephalopods:
Hawaiian flying squid (Nototodarus hawaiiensis)

Crustaceans:
Prawn, Tiger shrimp (Penaeus spp.)
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(((Species that do not contain thiaminase)))
Freshwater fish

Family Centrarchidae (North American Sunfishes):
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Northern rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris)
Northern smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Blue gill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Family Percidae (Perches):
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Walleye (Sander vitreus)

Family Salmonidae (Salmonids):
Bloater (Coregonus hoyi)
Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Other families:
Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) - family Plecoglossidae (Ayu fish)
Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) - family Lepisosteidae (Gars)
Northern Pike (Esox lucius) - family Esocidae (Pikes)

Brackish (freshwater to marine) fish
Family Salmonidae (Salmonids):
Cisco, Lake herring (Coregonus artedi)
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Sea trout (Salmo trutta)

Other families:
Common eel (Anguilla anguilla) - family Anguillidae (True eels)
Pond smelt (Hypomesus olidus) - family Osmeridae (Smelts)

(((Species that do not contain thiaminase)))
Marine fish

Family Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders):
Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
Winter flounder, Lemon sole (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides)
Yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea)
Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)
European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)

Family Gadidae (Cods and haddocks)
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)
Saithe, Pollock (Pollachius spp.)

Family Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers):
Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulates)
Southern kingfish (Menticirrhus americanus)
Spot croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus)
Silver seatrout (Cynoscion nothus)
Sand weakfish (Cynoscion arenarius)

Family Carangidae (Jacks):
Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerilii)
Yellowtail scad (Atule mate)
Mackerel scad (Decapterus pinnulatus)

Family Labridae (Wrasses):
Cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus)
Tautog (Tautoga onitis)

Family Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos):
Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis)

Other families:
Tusk (Brosme brosme) - family Lotidae (Hakes and burbots)
Largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) - family Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes)
Piked dogfish (Squalus acanthias) - family Squalidae (Dogfish sharks)
Hake (Urophycis spp.) - family Phycidae (Phycid hakes)
Inshore lizardfish (Synodus foetens) - family Synodontidae (Lizardfishes)
Mullet (Mugil spp.) - family Mugilidae (Mullets)
Scup, Southern porgy (Stenotomus chrysops) - family Sparidae (Porgies)
Ocean perch, redfish (Sebastes marinus) - family Sebastidae (Rockfishes)
Black seabass (Centropristis striata) - family Serranidae (Sea basses and Groupers)
Hardhead sea catfish (Ariopsis felis) - family Ariidae (Sea catfishes)
Searobin (Prionotus spp.) - family Triglidae (Searobins)
Silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) - family Merlucciidae (Merluccid hakes)
Eyestripe surgeonfish (Acanthurus dussumieri) - family Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes)
Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) - family Istiophoridae (Billfishes)
Blotcheye soldierfish (Myripristis berndti) - family Holocentridae (Squirrelfishes, soldierfishes)
Glasseye (Heteropriacanthus cruentatus) - family Priacanthidae (Bigeyes or catalufas)
Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) - family Sphyraenidae (Barracudas)
Invertebrates
Bivalves:
Cockle (Cardium spp.)

(((Species that do not contain thiaminase)))
Crustaceans:
Marine shrimps (sp. indet.; Hawaii)
Portuguese crabs (sp. indet.)

(((Species that do not contain thiaminase)))
Cephalopods:
Brief squid, calmar (Lolliguncula brevis)
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Sources: References

https://poisonousplants.ansci.cornel...hiaminase.html

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume...thiaminase.htm

https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co....and-thiaminase

[Gobane]

Thanks for the useful information!

[MondoBongo]

this was (possibly still is) a real problem in parts of Florida, where Gizzard Shad have taken over large parts of the ecosystem. alligators kept turning up paralyzed with weird neurological symptoms. no one could figure out why. turns out that since the shad had overrun most of the native species, they because the sole prey of the gators, who got concentrated doses of thiaminase, which in turn caused the paralysis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20218498