Hm. Edwards et al., Maintenance lysine requirement and efficiency of using lysine for accretion of whole-body lysine and protein in young chicks, POULTRY SCI, 78(10), 1999, pp. 1412-1417
Two bioassays were conducted to determine the maintenance requirement and e
fficiency of utilization of dietary Lys in young chicks. New Hampshire x Co
lumbian males were used in Assay 1 and Avian x Avian males were used in Ass
ay 2. In each assay, chicks were given free access for 10 d to crystalline
amino acid (AA) diets containing graded levels of L-Lys.HCl. Doses of Lys r
epresented 5, 40, 55, 70, and 95% of its ideal level in Assay 1; all other
AA were set at 100% of their ideal levels, except for the lowest Lys level,
in which the other AA were maintained at a 15% excess. Ln Assay 5 doses of
Lys represented 5, 10, 40, 55, 70, and 95% of ideal; all other AA were mai
ntained at minimized excess levels that were 15% (of ideal) above the vario
us doses of Lys. After 24 h of feed deprivation, chicks were killed for who
le-body protein and AA analysis. In Assay 1, protein accretion (r(2) = 0.95
) and Lys accretion (r(2) = 0.98) were Linear (P < 0.01) functions of Lys i
ntake. Slope of the Lys accretion regression line indicated that 75.8% of t
he crystalline Lys ingested (above maintenance) was retained. The Lys requi
red for zero protein accretion was 12 mg/d or 45 mg/d per kg(3/4) whereas t
he Lys required for zero Lys accretion was 30.3 mg/d or 114 mg/d per kg(8/4
). With Avian x Avian chicks, protein accretion (r(2) = 0.99) and Lys accre
tion (r(2) = 0.99) were linear (P < 0.01) functions of Lys intake. Slope of
the Lys regression indicated that 79.3% of the Lys ingested was retained.
The Lys requirement for zero protein accretion was 2.5 mg/d or 6.9 mg/d per
kg(8/4). The Lys maintenance ment for zero Lys accretion, however, was 32.
3 mg/d or 89.1 mg/d per kg The data demonstrated that at nitrogen equilibri
um, chicks are in negative Lys balance are in positive balance of glycine a
nd proline.