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Growth of Rats Fed Protein-Free Diets Supplemented with Purified Amino Acid Mixtures^{1, 2,}

Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama

1. Weanling rats gained approximately 40 gm per week when fed amino acid diets, devoid of protein, which was equal to the growth obtained with a 20% intact casein control diet. "Nonessential" amino acids appeared to be necessary in the diet in order to obtain an optimum early growth rate. In general, the D-isomers of amino acids did not cause an appreciable interference in growth.

2. Growth of the animals was related to the balance or ratio of the individual amino acids in the amino acid mixture or diet. Imbalance deficiencies of histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine and valine were demonstrated with the use of the amino acid mixtures. Isoleucine was antagonized by the leucine content of the diet.

² These studies were supported in part by the Williams-Waterman Fund of the Research Corporation; by the National Institutes of Health, Grant no. A-1175; and by the United States Atomic Energy Commission, Contract no. AT-(40-1)-1674. Appreciation is expressed to Lederle Laboratories for folic acid and Aureomycin (chlor-tetracycline), to A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company for inositol, to Merck and Company for the other vitamins used in this study, to the Dow Chemical Company and E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company for amino acids.

³ Present address: U. S. Army Medical Research and Nutrition Laboratory, Fitzsimons General Hospital, Denver 30, Colorado.

Manuscript received 20 March 1961.