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Valine Requirement of the Growing Kitten¹

Department of Animal Science and Department of Physiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616

The valine requirement of the kitten was studied using a crossover design with two groups of three weanling kittens. The kittens were fed a semipurified diet containing only free amino acids as a source of nitrogen containing 0.0%, 0.6%, or 1.8% valine. The mean ± SE of the linear components of growth (g/day) of the six kittens were respectively: -13.8 ± 1.7, 17.3 ± 4.8, and 15.3 ± 2.6. Corresponding food intakes were 26.0 ± 3.9, 50.4 ± 2.5, and 44.0 ± 1.5. Nitrogen balance was positive with the same amount retained for the two valine-containing diets, while nitrogen balance was negative for the kittens fed the valine-free diet. Plasma valine dropped markedly when the dietary valine was decreased from 1.8% to 0.6% (363 ± 59 versus 66 ± 13 nmole/ml), and was further decreased (33 ± 13) when the valine-free diet was fed. It does not appear that the valine requirement of the kitten exceeds 0.6% of a diet containing 25% fat. These results support the hypothesis that the high protein requirement of the kitten is not a result of a high requirement for all the essential amino acids, but a result of a high "nitrogen" requirement.

KEY WORDS: • feline valine requirement • cat nutrition • kitten valine requirement • amino acid requirement

¹ This work was supported in part by a Faculty Research Grant and in part by a grant from the Robert Winn Foundation for Cat Research. A preliminary report of this work was presented at the Federation of the American Society for Experimental Biology, in Anaheim, in April 1976; Hardy, A. J., Morris, J. G. & Rogers, Q. R. (1976) The valine requirements of the growing kitten. Federation Proc. 35, 498, Abs. No. 1617.

Manuscript received 9 December 1976.