Journal of Nutrition Vol. 46 No. 2 February 1952, pp. 203-214
Copyright © 1952 by American Society for Nutrition
Studies on the Interrelationship between Methionine and Vitamin B61
H. J. DeBey,
Esmond E. Snell and
C. A. Baumann
Department of Biochemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- 1. Levels of methionine only slightly above those necessary for growth depressed the growth of rats fed limiting amounts of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 counteracted the effects of moderate amounts of methionine. When the diet contained 2.5% of methionine, high levels of the vitamin failed to restore growth. D-, L- and DL-methionine and DL-homocystine were approximately equivalent in depressing growth; cystine did not depress growth.
- 2. Acrodynia was aggravated by moderate amounts of methionine (D-, L- or DL-isomers), and by homocystine.
- 3. Glycine, alanine, serine, cystine, threonine, and additional B vitamins did not affect growth when moderate levels of methionine were added to diets limiting or deficient in vitamin B6.
- 4. When the ration contained 1.0% of added methionine, the three forms of vitamin B6 were approximately equal in promoting growth; in some experiments the most active form of the vitamin appeared to be pyridoxal.
- 5. The consumption of pyridoxine decreased the excretion of free methionine in the urine of rats fed moderate amounts of the amino acid. Dietary methionine did not affect the concentration of vitamin B6 in the blood or liver of rats.
1 Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experimental Station. Supported in part by the Research Committee of the Graduate School from funds supplied by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
Manuscript received 24 September 1951.