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Effect of Wheat and Bengalgram Diets on Brain Glutamate Metabolism in Postweanling Rats

Paediatrics Haematology Unit, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India

Six groups of five female rats each aged 6 weeks at start were fed different diets for a period of 15 days. The protein sources of diets used were: a) 10% casein: b) wheat: c) Bengalgram: d) wheat + lysine: and e) Bengalgram + methionine + cystine + tryptophan, all containing 1.6 g nitrogen/100 g, and f) 20% casein (3.2 g nitrogen/100 g diet). The group of five rats fed a 10% casein diet served as control. It was observed that total brain RNA, protein and free amino nitrogen content and protein/DNA ratio were significantly decreased on wheat and Bengalgram diets as compared to the control. The specific activities of glutamine synthetase, glutaminase I, glutaminase II and glutamate decarboxylase and concentrations of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glutamine and gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain were also decreased on wheat and Bengalgram diets. The fortification of wheat with lysine and of Bengalgram with methionine, cystine and tryptophan did not alter brain weight and DNA content. While brain RNA, protein free amino nitrogen (FAN) and activities of enzymes of glutamic acid metabolism and related amino acid levels were restored, the activity of enzyme glutamine transferase and alanine concentration remained unaltered on various diets fed. The observations on 20% casein diet showed that levels were similar to those observed on 10% casein diet.

KEY WORDS: • Bengalgram • wheat • lysine • methionine • tryptophan • glutamate metabolism

¹ Recipient of research fellowship from University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India.

Manuscript received 17 September 1979.