Abstract
An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) interactions on their utilization by growing pigs and the effects of excessive amounts of BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, valine) on the utilization of methionine. A semipurified diet containing 100 g crude protein/kg with a balanced amino acid pattern was prepared using casein supplemented with free amino acids. Three further diets were made by reducing the concentration of methionine + cyst(e)ine, valine or isoleucine by 20%. Each of these four diets was then supplemented with leucine (50% excess) or a mixture of BCAA (50% excess of each but excluding the limiting amino acid). All diets were isoenergetic and were made isonitrogenous by replacement of glutamic and aspartic acids. The twelve diets were given to twenty-four growing pigs (30-40 kg) in three periods according to a randomized block design. Each period lasted 8 d and N retention was measured during the last 5 d of each period. Reducing dietary methionine, valine or isoleucine reduced the utilization of N (N retained/N digested) by approximately 20% (P < 0.05). Adding leucine to the isoleucine-limiting diet decreased the utilization of N by 9% (P < 0.05). This was reversed by simultaneous addition of valine. Excess leucine in a valine-deficient diet did not significantly reduce N utilization. In methionine-limiting diets an excess of either leucine alone or of all three BCAA increased the utilization of N by 8% (P < 0.05).
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.