Inability of Carnitine to Promote Growth of Choline Deficient Chicks

Abstract

Khairallah and Wolf (1965) have reported a lipotropic action of carnitine when it was fed to rats grown on choline-deficient diets containing limited amounts of protein (9%) and 0.3% methionine. Fritz and Dupont (1957) and Adams et al. (1960) were not able to demonstrate any growth or lipotropic action of carnitine in rats fed higher protein levels. Strength et al. (1965), using a choline deficient diet based on alcohol-extracted peanut meal and casein, found that carnitine did not improve growth or renal function in choline deficient rats. Takahashi et al. (1965) have reported that 0.02% carnitine in diets produced a growth response in week-old chicks equal to that given by 0.4% choline. Since growth was adequate in the control group and the growth improvement due to choline or carnitine supplementation was only 10%, it seems probable that the diet was not deficient in choline. Roberts and Fritz (1968) have reported…