Total Sulfur Amino Acids Research Articles

Changes in cecum microbial community in response to total sulfur amino acid (TSAA: DL-methionine) in antibiotic-free and supplemented poultry birds

The effect of essential total sulfur amino acids (TSAA) like methionine and cysteine on the cecal microbiome of broilers was investigated at 2 different time points (days 21 and 42) of broiler rearing. A total of 360-day-old Cobb male broiler chicks were randomly distributed to 6 dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with 2 levels of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP: 0 and 0.05%) and 3 levels of TSAA (DL-methionine) either for starter (0.7, 0.8, and 0.9%) or finisher chicks (0.52, 0.62, and 0.72%), labeled as diets 1 to 6. Cecal digesta from each replicate (n = 10) were sampled on days 21 and 42. DNA was extracted for the amplification of the V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and subjected to Illumina sequencing. Bioinformatic analyses were performed using QIIME, Mothur, and ad hoc tools and functional profiles of the inferred metagenome were analyzed using PICRUST. Statistical difference was determined by 2-way ANOVA and PERMANOVA. Clustering of cecal communities using PCoA showed clear separation of microbial communities based on age (P < 0.05) of birds and between low and medium/ high levels of TSAA (DL-methionine). At day 21, bacterial richness and diversity were higher than at day 42 where Clostridium cluster XI and Lactobacillus were found most abundant. No variability in taxonomic richness at the genus level was observed with AGP and DL-methionine supplementation. Interbird variation for richness was greater at day 42 compared to day 21. The mean fold difference of richness was greater (1.5 mean fold) with diets 1 and 6, suggesting interactive effects of AGP and TSAA (DL-methionine) in the diet. KEGG function profiles calculated by PICRUST suggest that the cecal microbiome increased glycolysis and energy generation correlated with increased dietary TSAA (DL-methionine) supplementation levels during the late broiler growth period (day 42). This study increases our knowledge of microbial dynamics and functions that are relevant to host nutrition and performance that may help us tailoring alternative strategies for raising poultry birds under antibiotic-free conditions.

The effect of total sulfur amino acid levels on growth performance, egg quality, and bone metabolism in laying hens subjected to high environmental temperature

This study evaluated the effects of total sulfur amino acid (TSAA) levels on performance, egg quality, and bone metabolism in laying hens subjected or not to high environmental temperature (HT). HyLine W36 layers (n = 144) were randomly distributed in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Room temperature (control, CR: 21°C/24h; and high temperature, HR: 32°C/8h) and diets (70, 85, or 100% of TSAA) were the main factors, with 4 replicates of 6 birds (19 to 45 wk). The TSAA levels were obtained by adding L-Methionine (L-Met) to the basal diet (70% of TSAA) until 85 and 100% of TSAA were reached. At weeks 21, 34, and 45, growth performance, egg production, and egg quality traits were evaluated. At 45 wk, bones were evaluated for collagenous and non-collagenous proteins, bone volume, mineral content, and mineral density from total, cortical, trabecular, and medullary portions. When interactions were found, the increase of TSAA levels (85 and 100%) was able to counteract the negative effects of HT. In general, HT reduced egg production (P < 0.05) and did not significantly affect bone quality. The birds fed 70% of TSAA showed higher feed conversion, lower body weight, egg weight, and egg mass than birds fed 85 and 100% of TSAA in at least one phase. The birds fed 100% of TSAA showed higher egg production and egg mass than the other treatments at 21 wk of age. The cortical and trabecular bone mineral densities were higher for birds fed 100 than 70% of TSAA, whereas the medullary bone mineral content and density were higher for birds fed 70 than 100% of TSAA. In conclusion, HT had negative impact on performance, egg quality and no effect on bone development. The supplementation of L-Met until either 85 or 100% of TSAA levels were reached was enough to assure good performance, egg quality, and bone development in laying hens subjected or not to HT.

PSIII-2 Optimal ratio of standardized ileal digestible total sulfur amino acid to lysine for 5 to 22 kg pigs under antibiotic-free regime

Abstract The present study aimed to determine the optimal ratio of standardized ileal digestible (SID) total sulfur amino acid (TSAA) to Lys for growth performance in 5 to 22 kg pigs under antibiotic-free regime. Experimental diets were formulated to ensure that lysine was the second limiting AA throughout the experiments. A total of 990 weaning piglets (PIC 337 × 1050, Hendersonville, TN; 5.08 ± 0.86 kg), blocked by initial BW and gender, were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments, with 9 pens per treatment and 22 piglets per pen. Dietary treatments consisted of SID TSAA to Lys ratios of 51%, 58%, 65%, 72% and 79%, with 1.31%, 1.28% and 1.20% SID Lys in phases 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The source of TSAA used in this study was the dry calcium salt of D, L-2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid (84% Met, MHA®, Novus International, Inc., St. Charles, MO). Data was analyzed using general linear mixed models accounting for heterogeneous residual variances. Competing heteroskedastic models included broken-line linear (BLL), broken-line quadratic (BLQ), and quadratic polynomial (QP). For each response, the best-fitting model was selected using Bayesian information criterion. Results showed that increasing ratios of SID TSAA to Lys linearly (P = 0.01) increased ADG during the entire nursery period. Increasing SID TSAA to Lys ratios tended to increase (P = 0.09) overall ADFI in a quadratic manner. The best-fitting model for overall ADG is BLL in which the maximum ADG was estimated at 60% SID TSAA to Lys ratio, with 95% confidence interval (CI) between 55% and 65%. In conclusion, the optimal ratio of SID TSAA to Lys was 60% for maximum ADG. These results indicate that the NRC (2012) recommendation may underestimate the SID TSAA to Lys requirement for nursery pigs raised under antibiotic-free regime.

Effects of methionine and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation on performance and energy metabolites in breast muscle of male broiler chickens fed corn-soybean diets

ABSTRACT1. Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is the single endogenous precursor of creatine, which plays a critical role in energy homeostasis of cells. Since GAA is endogenously converted to creatine by methylation, it was hypothesised that the effects of dietary GAA supplementation might determine the methionine (Met) availability in corn-soybean based diets.2. A total of 540, one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were allocated to nine dietary treatments with six replicates (10 birds each) in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with three graded levels of supplementary Met (+0.4 g/kg per level), whilst cystine was equal across groups, resulting in a low, medium and high level of total sulphur amino acids, and with three levels of GAA (0, 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg). Birds were fed for 42 days.3. Increasing levels of supplemental Met enhanced performance indices in all rearing periods, although there was no effect on feed conversion ratio in the grower or feed intake in the finisher periods. Final body weight was 8.8% and 14.6% higher in the birds fed medium and high Met diets, respectively, compared to the low Met level. Relative breast weight and protein content in muscle on d 25 linearly increased with higher levels of Met. At low and high Met levels, growth in the finisher phase was negatively affected by supplementing GAA at 1.2 g/kg. It was suggested that disturbances in methylation homeostasis and/or changes in Arg metabolism might explain these findings. At the end of the grower phase, muscle creatine content was higher when feeding GAA at 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg (4464 and 4472, respectively, vs. 4054 mg/kg fresh muscle in the control group).4. The effects of dietary GAA supplementation were influenced by the dietary Met level only in the finisher period, which indicates the need for proper sulphur amino acid formulation in diets when feeding GAA.

Comparative Amino Acid Compositions of Curculigo pilosa Root and Citrullus colocynthis Fruit Bark

The study evaluated comparative amino acids compositions of Curculigo pilosa roots and Citrullus colocynthis fruit bark. The amino acids compositions were determined using amino acid analyzer. The results of amino acid compositions showed that eighteen amino acids were detected in both samples. Ten of the detected amino acids were essential amino acids and eight were non-essential. Glumatic acid had the highest concentration of 11.20 and 11.98 g/100g protein in Curculigo pilosa roots and Citrullus colocynthis fruits respectively. Leucine was the second highest concentrated amino acid in Curculigo pilosa roots and Citrullus colocynthis fruits with the values of 8.17 and 7.24 g/100g protein respectively. Histidine was the third highest amino acid in Curculigo pilosa roots while Citrullus colocynthis fruits had very low histidine level. The fourth highest amino was arginine in both samples. The percentage coefficient of variance (CV %) of the amino acid values were generally low with the exception of histidine with CV % value of 88.98 while rest of CV % values ranged from 0-26.92 showing the closeness of the amino acid values in the two samples to each other. Total amino acids (TAA) for Curculigo pilosa roots and Citrullus colocynthis fruits were 78.92 and 72.47 g/100g protein while the total essential amino acids (TEAAs) of Curculigo pilosa roots and Citrullus colocynthis fruits are 41.21 and 34.04 g/100g protein respectively. Percentage cysteine in (total sulphur amino acids) TSAA were 22.52 and 30.32 g/100g protein for Curculigo pilosa roots and Citrullus colocynthis fruits respectively. The results of this study indicate that Curculigo pilosa roots and Citrullus colocynthis fruits are rich in essential amino acid while their % Cysteine/TSAA values were relatively low.

Higher Intake of Sulfur Amino Acids Is Associated with Greater Mortality Among US Adults: NHANESIII Cohort Study (P18-061-19)

ObjectivesPreclinical evidence has suggested that low consumptions of sulfur amino acids (SAA) methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys) are associated with a variety of health benefits including delayed aging and lower incidence of aging-related diseases including diabetes. Further, in the United States, the average person consumes SAA at levels far in excess of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and a variety of negative effects of excess SAA intake have been reported. However, there is little data regarding the relationship between SAA intake and health status in humans. We thus prospectively analyzed the associations between SAA intake and all-cause and disease-specific mortality rates in a large cohort of US adults participating in the Third National Examination and Nutritional Health Survey (NHANES III) Study. MethodsDietary intake of SAA was assessed via a 24-h recall questionnaire. Mortality cases were assessed via search in the National Death Index. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated from Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate associations between intakes of SAAs intake (in quintiles) and risk of mortality. Models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol intake, dietary factors, and disease history. ResultsA total of 3594 mortality events out of 12,395 eligible participants occurred during 23 years of follow-up. After full adjustment, absolute intake of higher Met, Cys, and total SAA were associated with increases in all-cause mortality (HR = 1.13 (1.00–1.13), 1.15 (1.01–1.30), 1.13 (1.00–1.27), respectively), and in diabetes mortality (HR = 3.00 (1.53–5.70), 3.26(1.65–6.46), 3.81(1.87–7.77), respectively). No associations were found with other causes of mortality. When SAA intake was expressed as protein density, only Cys and total SAA intake were positively associated with increased diabetes mortality (P < 0.02). ConclusionsOverall, these data support our hypothesis that higher consumption of SAA is associated with increased mortality. Given the high intake of SAA among the US population, our findings may have important public health implications. Funding SourcesThis study was not externally funded. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs▪▪

Comparative Amino Acid Compositions of Uvaria chamae Stem Bark and Poly Herbal Mixture

The study evaluated comparative amino acids compositions of Uvaria chamae stem bark and Ruzu bitters. The amino acids compositions were determined using amino acid analyzer. The result of amino acid composition showed that eighteen amino acids were detected in both samples. Ten of the detected amino acids were essential amino acids and eight were non-essential. Glumatic acid had the highest concentration of 10.90 and 5.15 g/100g protein in Uvaria chamae stem bark and Ruzu bitters followed by aspartic acid with values of 8.40 and 3.44 g/100 g protein in Uvaria chamae stem bark and Ruzu bitters respectively. Leucine was the next amino acid in Uvaria chamae stem bark and Ruzu bitters followed by arginine. Uvaria chamae stem bark had the highest level of total amino acids of 72.66 g/100 g protein and Ruzu bitters had 32.17 g/100 g protein. For the EAA, it was 34.41 g/100 g for Uvaria chamae &gt;17.44 g/100 g for Ruzu bitter. The highest essential amino acid (EAA) was leucine (6.13 and 3.56 g/100 g) in Uvaria chamae stem bark and Ruzu bitters. The total sulphur amino acid was generally low at 1.01-1.78 g/100 g but the % Cysteine in total sulphur amino acid (TSAA) was slightly high at 47.05% for Ruzu bitters but lower in Uvaria chamae stem bark (27.44%). The percentage coefficient variance (CV %) of the amino acid values were generally high with the exception of isoleucine, phenylalanine, lysine, methionine, leucine, cysteine and alanine with respective CV % values of 27.32, 31.97, 33.68, 37.50, 37.53, 38.81 and 39.05 while rest of CV % values ranged from 50.69-94.53 showing the gap of the amino acid values in the two samples to each other. The results of this study indicate that Uvaria chamae stem bark is richer in essential amino acid while % Cys/TSAA value is higher in Ruzu bitters.

Effects of dietary total sulphur amino acids to lysine ratio on performance, nitrogen utilization of Ac layers (black-boned chicken)

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary total sulphur amino acids (TSAA) to lysine (Lys) ratio on performance of Ac layers (black-boned chicken). A total of 800 laying hens from 38 to 50 weeks old was allocated according to a completely randomized design with five treatments and 20 replicates of 8 birds each. The basal diet was formulated with 16% crude protein (CP), 2755 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy (ME), 0.482% methionine, 0.925% TSAA and 1.12% lysine. The TSAA/Lys ratio of the basal diet was 0.85. The basal diet plus four diets were formulated, two with TSSA levels at 10% and 20% below and two at 10% and 20% above that of the basal diet, giving 0.762%, 0.857%, 1.047% and 1.142% TSAA, respectively with the basal at 0.925% TSAA. The 10% decrease or increase in TSAA from 0.952% did not affect feed intake or egg production. However, further TSAA decreases from 0.857% to 0.762% led to reducing egg weight, which increased with a curvilinear trend as the level of TSAA in the diets was increased. TSAA influenced nitrogen retention in a quadratic trend, with hens fed diets containing 0.952% and 1.047 % TSAA retaining more nitrogen than the other treatments. Increasing dietary TSAA increased the white and yolk index and Haugh unit, whereas egg shell thickness, yolk colour and egg components were not influenced. The TSAA/Lys ratio of 0.85 improved egg weight and nitrogen retention of Ac layers. Keywords: Egg weight, feed intake, performance, production, nitrogen retention, sulphur amino acid

Effect of incremental levels of dietary total sulfur amino acids on performance of white leghorn laying hens fed diets containing guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) meal.

The present study evaluated the potential of increasing dietary levels of the most limiting amino acids such as total sulfur amino acids (TSAA) with respect to mitigating the adverse effects of the inclusion of guar meal (GM) in the diet of WL layers on egg production, feed efficiency and egg weight. In total, 4928 WL (Lohmann L) hens (32 week of age) were randomly allotted to eight treatments with seven replicates of 88 birds. The dietary treatments were a set of four maize-soybean meal based diets containing four graded concentrations of TSAA (5.85, 6.18, 6.51 and 6.84 g kg-1 ) and another set of four diets containing 100 g kg-1 guar meal (GM) with similar concentrations of TSAA. The inclusion of 100 g kg-1 GM in the diet caused a 20%, 23%, 35.5% and 6.7% reduction in egg production, daily egg mass, feed efficiency and egg weight, respectively, when the diet contained 5.85 g kg-1 TSAA. Increasing TSAA levels in GM groups reduced the adverse effects on egg production and feed efficiency 50%, with no effect on egg weight. The TSAA requirement of WL birds fed 10% GM was estimated as 6.28-7.39 g kg-1 diet at different ages. Increasing dietary TSAA to 7.39, 6.28, 6.53 and 6.37 g kg-1 or dTSAA (digestible TSAA) to 6.53, 5.32, 5.80 and 5.63 g kg-1 during 33-36, 37-40, 41-44 and 45-48 weeks of age, respectively, may be an effective and practical strategy for reducing the adverse effects of inclusion of 100 g kg-1 GM in the diet of WL layers. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quantitative Proteomic Characterization Associated with Woody Breast Meat from Broilers Fed a Standard or an Amino Acid-Reduced Diet

ObjectivesWoody or wooden breast (WB) is an emergent myopathy of broilers and is macroscopically characterized by hardened areas of the Pectoralis major muscle. Woody broiler breast fillets can result in harder texture, higher pH, lower amounts of proteins, lower water-holding capacity, and increased cook loss when compared to normal breasts. The impaired meat quality of WB has been reported to be closely associated with improved nutrition and fast-growth rates. The present research compared the proteome of normal and woody breast muscle from broilers that were fed with either a control diet or an amino acid (AA)-reduced diet.Materials and MethodsMixed-sex broilers were assigned to 16 pens (15 chicks per pen) and fed with control or reduced AA diets (20% reduction of digestible lysine, total sulfur amino acids, and threonine). At 8 wk of age, live broilers were evaluated manually for WB myopathy. Within each diet group, 4 male broilers with normal breast and 4 male broilers with WB were selected (one bird in each pen) and euthanized using CO2 gas. The breast muscle from the cranial portion was immediately sampled after bleeding and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Mississippi State University (IACUC-16-542). Whole muscle proteins of normal and woody breast were extracted from frozen samples of three birds within each treatment. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE; 6 gels per treatment) coupled with image analysis and mass spectrometry were used to investigate differences in the expression levels of proteins (more than 2.0-fold intensity differences) from chicken breast muscle. Differences were evaluated using Student’s t test at a confidence interval of 95%.ResultsWhen the broilers were fed with the control diet, 10 proteins were expressed differentially between normal and woody breasts. Apolipoprotein A-I, desmin, annexin A2, annexin A5, and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase were overexpressed (P < 0.05) in WB. Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, four and a half LIM domains protein 1 isoform X3, and an uncharacterized protein were only present in WB muscle, but not in normal chicken breast. Two proteins, keratin, type II cytoskeletal 8 and α-1,4 glucan phosphorylase, were overexpressed (P < 0.05) in normal chicken breast. These differentially expressed proteins were involved in glycolytic metabolism, cell structure, and cellular defense.Interestingly, only one protein (heat shock protein β-1) was expressed differentially between normal and woody breasts when broilers were fed with the AA-reduced diet. This protein was overexpressed (P < 0.05) in WB samples and found to play a role in stress resistance and actin organization.ConclusionThe protein profiles of normal and woody chicken breast samples were different, which might help explain the changes in meat quality. Essential amino acid intake resulted in minimizing difference in protein profiles between normal and woody chicken breasts.

Methionine to cystine ratio in the total sulfur amino acid requirements and sulfur amino acid metabolism using labelled amino acid approach for broilers

BackgroundAssuming that part of Methionine (Met) is converted into Cystine (Cys), but ignoring the rates with which such phenomenon occurs may lead to an excessive supply of Met in poultry diets. Such inconvenient could be easily avoided with the knowledge of the ideal Met:Cys/Total sulfur amino acids (TSAA) ratio and the rates of Met conversion into Cys.ResultsMet sources did not affect performance. Met:Cys/TSAA ideal ratio was determined using curvilinear-plateau regression model. Both optimum body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were estimated in 1007 g/day and 1.49, respectively, at 52% Met/TSAA ratio. Feed intake was not affected by Met:Cys/TSAA ratios. In the labelled amino acid assay, the rates with which Met was converted into Cys ranged from 27 to 43% in response to changes in Met:Cys/TSAA ratios, being higher at 56:44.ConclusionBased on performance outcomes, the minimum concentration of Met relative to Cys in diets for broilers from 14 to 28 d of age based on a TSAA basis, is 52% (52:48 Met:Cys/TSAA). The outcomes from labelled amino acid assay indicate that highest the Met supply in diets, the highest is its conversion into Cys.

Effect of feeding higher concentrations of limiting amino acids on performance, slaughter variables and nitrogen retention in broiler chicken fed graded levels of toasted guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) meal

ABSTRACT1. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of supplementing higher concentrations (100% vs. 110%) of critical amino acids (CAA) on performance (body weight gain – BWG, feed efficiency – FE), slaughter variables and nitrogen retention in broiler chicken (1–6 weeks of age) fed graded levels of toasted guar meal (TGM) as a protein source in diets.2. The TGM was included at five graded concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg) in iso-caloric and iso-protein diets with either the recommended concentration (100%) of CAA (lysine, total sulphur amino acids, threonine, tryptophan and valine) or at 10% higher (110%) concentration. A metabolism trial of 3-day duration was conducted during 6th week of age to study nitrogen retention.3. The TGM levels and CAA concentration at 21 or 42 d of age did not influence BWG, FI and FE. BWG was not affected with inclusion of TGM up to 100 g/kg in starter and overall production (1–42 d of age) phases. The FE improved with TGM supplementation during starter phase, while at the end of experiment (42 d), FE was depressed by inclusion of TGM in dose dependant manner. All performance variables improved with increase in concentration of CAA from 100% to 110%.4. Breast meat weight improved and abdominal fat weight reduced with higher levels of CAA in diet. Retention of nitrogen reduced with increase in level of TGM in broiler diet. Increasing concentrations of CAA in diet improved nitrogen retention.5. It was concluded that TGM could be incorporated up to 100 g/kg with 100% CAA and up to 150 g/kg with 110% CAA without affecting performance. Increasing CAA concentration (110%) in diets significantly improved BWG and FE (21 and 42 d), breast meat weight and nitrogen retention in broiler chicken.

Amino Acid Profile and Mineral Content of Balanites aegyptiaca Kernel

Study on the evaluation of the nutritional quality of poorly utilized plant products is of immense importance. This research work, therefore, evaluates the amino acid profile and mineral content of Balanites aegyptiaca kernel using standard analytical methods. The amino acid profile analysis revealed the presence of essential and the non-essential amino acids of which Total sulphur and Total aromatic amino acids content were 2.86 g/100 g protein and 7.21 g/100 g protein respectively. Analysis of the mineral content showed the presence of the following minerals in the order; Magnesium ˃ Sodium ˃ Calcium ˃ Potassium ˃ Iron ˃ Zinc ˃ Manganese ˃ Lead ˃ Copper ˃ Nickel ˃ Chromium ˃ Cadmium. The kernel could, therefore, be used as a good source of protein and minerals in supplementing other sources in order to reduce food insecurity and hence malnutrition from lack of protein diets.

Species Variations in the Proximate Composition, Amino Acid Profile, and Protein Quality of the Muscle Tissue of Grass Carp, Bighead Carp, Siberian Sturgeon, and Wels Catfish

This study determined the proximate composition, energy value, amino acid profile, and protein quality of the muscle tissue of four food fish species. The fish analyzed contained 78.90–69.89% water, 18.25–15.69% protein, and 2.28–12.57% fat. The energy value of the muscle tissue ranged from 93.50 to 175.83 kcal/100 g. The contents of amino acids in 100 g of protein were 47.64–45.86 g for total essential amino acids (TEAA), 52.36–54.14 g for total neutral amino acids (TNAA), 3.14–2.25 g for total sulphur amino acids (TSAA), and 7.23–7.81 g for total aromatic amino acids (TArAA). The essential amino acid (EAA) composition of the fish was compared with the standard protein, and Chemical Score (CS), Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), and Essential Amino Acid Index (EAAI) were calculated. The quality of the muscle tissue proteins of all four fish species was high. These fish can constitute a healthy addition to the human diet.

209 Effects of Increasing Ratios of Standardized Ileal Digestible Total Sulfur Amino Acid to Lysine on Growth Performance of 7 to 17 Kg Pigs Under Antibiotics or Antibiotics-Free Regime.

209 Effects of Increasing Ratios of Standardized Ileal Digestible Total Sulfur Amino Acid to Lysine on Growth Performance of 7 to 17 Kg Pigs Under Antibiotics or Antibiotics-Free Regime.

Broiler Genetic Strain and Diet on the Incidence of Woody Breast Meat

ObjectivesWoody breast (WB) is characterized by pale, hardened areas and muscle rigidity in the Pectoralis major muscle of broilers. Although WB incidence is related to increased growth rate and breast meat yield, the exact causes are still unknown. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of genetic strain and diet on the incidence of WB.Materials and MethodsAll experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Mississippi State University (IACUC-16–542). Five strains of mixed-sex broilers (A1–3, B1–2; n = 240 per strain) were fed with commercial or reduced essential amino acid diets (20% reduction of digestible lysine, total sulfur amino acids, and threonine). A 5 (breeds) × 2 (diets) factorial arrangement within a randomized complete block design with 8 blocks (10 pens per block) and 8 replicate pens (15 chicks per pen) of each treatment was utilized. At 8 wk of age, 4 broilers from each pen were randomly selected and harvested in a lab scale commercial processing facility. A total of 32 broilers from each treatment were evaluated for live weight, carcass weight, breast weight, breast pH, and breast color. The WB severity of chicken breasts was evaluated where 0 = normal, 1 = slight, 2 = moderate, and 3 = severe. The pH was measured at 15 min and 24 h post processing, and color was measured 24 h post processing. Cook loss and shear force were also evaluated.ResultsB1 broilers that were fed with the control diet expressed the WB condition with an average of 2.34, which was greater (P < 0.05) than all other treatments with the exception of the A1 reduced diet treatment (P < 0.05). Feeding broilers with the reduced diet led to less WB incidence in B breeds (P < 0.05) but had minimal impact (P > 0.05) in the A breeds. This indicates that WB incidence was impacted predominantly by genetics in both cases, but that diet had a greater impact on woody breast incidence in B in comparison to A genetic strains. There was greater than 25% severe WB in the A1 and B1 control diet treatments and the A1 reduced diet treatment. Feeding a reduced diet to B1 decreased incidence from 88% to 28% for moderate and severe WB.After 15 min of processing, A1 broilers had greater (P < 0.05) pH (6.53 to 6.54) than B1 and B2 reduced diet treatments, but did not differ (P > 0.05) from other treatments. The pH declined after 24 h of processing, and B1 fed with control diet had a greater (P < 0.05) pH (5.96) than all other treatments (5.77 to 5.87). Differences existed among treatments (P < 0.05) with respect to cooking loss and shear force, but all samples were tender (< 45 N) and cooking loss was similar to values reported in literature.Feeding the reduced diet to B decreased (P < 0.05) carcass weight when compared to control treatments; but feeding the reduced diet to A led to no difference (P > 0.05) in carcass weight. For the control diet, B1 had a greater breast weight (P < 0.05) than all other treatments. Feeding the reduced diet decreased (P < 0.05) breast weight for all breeds with the exception of A1.ConclusionA1 and B1 breeds had the greatest WB incidence. Feeding a reduced diet led to greater reductions in WB incidence and breast meat weight in B genetic strains when compared to A genetic strains.

The improved growth performance and enhanced immune function by DL-methionyl-DL-methionine are associated with NF-κB and TOR signalling in intestine of juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

The present study investigated the effects of dietary DL-methionyl-DL-methionine (Met-Met) on growth performance, intestinal immune function and the underlying signalling molecules in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish were fed one DL-methionine (DL-Met) group (2.50 g/kg diet) and six graded levels of Met-Met groups (0, 0.79, 1.44, 1.84, 2.22 and 2.85 g/kg diet) for 10 weeks, and then challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 days. Results indicated that the optimal Met-Met supplementation: (1) increased fish growth performance, intestinal lysozyme (LZ) and acid phosphatase (ACP) activities, complement (C3 and C4) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) contents, up-regulated hepcidin, liver expressed antimicrobial peptide 2A (LEAP-2A), LEAP-2B, β-defensin-1 and Mucin2 mRNA levels; (2) down-regulated tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interferon γ2 (IFN-γ2), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-8 [only in the distal intestine (DI)], IL-12p35, IL-12p40 and IL-15 (not IL-17D) mRNA levels partially related to the down-regulation of IκB kinase β (IKKβ) and IKKγ (rather than IKKα), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 and c-Rel (rather than NF-κB p52) mRNA levels and the up-regulation of inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) mRNA levels; (3) up-regulated IL-4/13A, IL-4/13B, IL-6, IL-10, IL-11 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 (not TGF-β2) mRNA levels partially associated with the target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling pathway [TOR/ribosomal protein S6 kinases 1 (S6K1), eIF4E-binding proteins (4E-BP)] in three intestinal segments of juvenile grass carp. These results suggest that Met-Met supplementation improves growth and intestinal immune function in fish. Furthermore, according to a positive effect, the optimal Met-Met supplementation was superior to the optimal DL-Met supplementation at improving the growth performance and enhancing the intestinal immune function in fish. Finally, based on percent weight gain (PWG), protection against enteritis morbidity and immune index (LZ activity), the optimal Met-Met supplementation for juvenile grass carp was estimated as 1.61, 1.64 and 1.68 g/kg diet, respectively, as the basal diet contains 8.03 g/kg total sulfur amino acids (TSAA) (4.26 g methionine/kg and 3.77 g cysteine/kg).

Re-estimation of supplemented methionine as total sulfur amino acid requirement for commercial male meat-type ducks

Re-estimation of supplemented methionine as total sulfur amino acid requirement for commercial male meat-type ducks

Total Sulfur Amino Acid Requirements Are Not Altered in Children with Chronic Renal Insufficiency, but Minimum Methionine Needs Are Increased

Background: The total sulfur amino acid (TSAA) and minimum Met requirements have been previously determined in healthy children. TSAA metabolism is altered in kidney disease. Whether TSAA requirements are altered in children with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) is unknown.Objective: We sought to determine the TSAA (Met in the absence of Cys) requirements and minimum Met (in the presence of excess Cys) requirements in children with CRI.Methods: Five children (4 boys, 1 girl) aged 10 ± 2.6 y with CRI were randomly assigned to receive graded intakes of Met (0, 5, 10, 15, 25, and 35 mg · kg-1 · d-1) with no Cys in the diet. Four of the children (3 boys, 1 girl) were then randomly assigned to receive graded dietary intakes of Met (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 mg · kg-1 · d-1) with 21 mg · kg-1 · d-1 Cys. The mean TSAA and minimum Met requirements were determined by measuring the oxidation of l-[1-13C]Phe to 13CO2 (F13CO2). A 2-phase linear-regression crossover analysis of the F13CO2 data identified a breakpoint at minimal F13CO2 Urine samples collected from all study days and from previous studies of healthy children were measured for sulfur metabolites.Results: The mean and population-safe (upper 95% CI) intakes of TSAA and minimum Met in children with CRI were determined to be 12.6 and 15.9 mg · kg-1 · d-1 and 7.3 and 10.9 mg · kg-1 · d-1, respectively. In healthy school-aged children the mean and upper 95% CI intakes of TSAA and minimum Met were determined to be 12.9 and 17.2 mg · kg-1 · d-1 and 5.8 and 7.3 mg · kg-1 · d-1, respectively. A comparison of the minimum Met requirements between healthy children and children with CRI indicated significant (P < 0.05) differences.Conclusion: These results suggest that children with CRI have a similar mean and population-safe TSAA to that of healthy children, suggesting adequate Cys synthesis via transsulfuration, but higher minimum Met requirement, suggesting reduced remethylation rates.

Assessment of Vitamins, Protein Quality and Mineral Bioavailability of Matured Stems of Opuntia dillenii Grown in Nigeria

The vitamin composition, protein quality and mineral bioavailability of matured stems of Opuntia dillenii were investigated. The sample was analyzed using an automatic amino acid analyzer (JEOL (JLC 500/V) for the assessment of amino acids, and an atomic absorption spectrophotometer for the mineral composition analysis while the vitamin composition was evaluated using spectrophotometric methods. The amino acid composition ranged between 1.31g - 20.08g/100g. Arginine and leucine had the highest concentration of essential amino acids while glutamate and aspartate were the most abundant non-essential amino acid in the studied plant. The percentage Total essential amino acids (with Histidine), Total non-essential amino acids, Total aromatic amino acids, and Total sulphur amino acids were 41.8%, 56.1%, 8.1% and 5.3% respectively. The results for the protein quality indices: - the predicted protein efficiency ratios (P-PERs I, II, and III) were 2.45, 2.59 and 3.49 respectively. The amino acid scoring pattern showed valine and lysine as the limiting essential amino acids considering the requirements of pre-school children. The vitamin analysis showed that vitamin B12 and vitamin A were the most occurring vitamins. The mineral analysis results revealed magnesium, calcium and phosphorus as the most concentrated while the [phytate]/ [calcium] ratio and [phytate]/ [zinc] ratio in the sample were below the critical levels. The study has shown that matured stems of Opuntia dillenii can contribute greatly towards meeting human nutritional requirement and the high vitamin B12 content could be of important value in patients with severe sickle cell disease.