QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ashley, D. V. M. Articles by Jost, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ashley, D. V. M. Articles by Jost, R.

Amino Acid-Enriched Plasteins: A Source of Limiting Amino Acids for the Weanling Rat

Nestlé Research Department, CH-1814 La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland

The biological availability to the weanling rat of two amino acid-enriched plasteins, tryptophan and methionine plastein, was tested. In both experiments rats were fed diets containing graded levels of the amino acid either in the free form or as the amino acid-enriched plastein. The first experiment tested the utilization of tryptophan plastein. The results as indicated by weight gain, food intake and plasma levels of tryptophan showed that the tryptophan in the plastein was utilized to the same extent as the free amino acid. Brain tryptophan levels correlated better with plasma Trp:neutral amino acid ratios (r = 0.83) than with plasma tryptophan itself (r = 0.63) suggesting that the small changes observed in plasma amino acid profiles were responsible for differences in the brain tryptophan concentrations among the L-tryptophan and tryptophan plastein groups. In the second experiment, utilization of methionine plastein was tested. Based on weight gain and food intake data, it was concluded that methionine plastein was also utilized to the same extent as free L-methionine.

KEY WORDS: • plasteins • biological availability • methionine • tryptophan

Manuscript received 28 June 1982.