[Methylmalonic acid excretion in experimental B2-avitaminosis in rats].

Providing of rats with a diet, deficient in vitamin B2 within 2 and 5 weeks, was not shown to be accompanied by an increase in excretion of methylmalonic acid. In the animals some tendency to the increased excretion of methylmalonic acid was observed within 8 weeks of the diet. The data obtained suggest that the test for excretion of methylmalonic acid was the highly specific as a pattern of supply with vitamin B12. The possible role of vitamin B2 and flavoproteins in biosynthesis of coenzyme forms of vitamin B12 is discussed.