title: Methionine replacement value of N-acetylmethionine and homocysteinethiolactone hydrochloride for growing rats.
abstract: The ability of young growing rats to absorb DL-homocysteinethiolactone hydrochloride (HCTL-HCl) and N-acetyl-DL-methionine (NAM) and to use them for growth when fed a methionine-deficient diet was studied. In situ intestinal absorption studies demonstrated that both compounds are readily absorbed. Intestinal half-times were 24 minutes for NDTL-HCl and 44 minutes for NAM. Adding molar equivalents of 0.2 or 0.4% methionine to a 0.2% methionine basal diet fed ad libitum resulted in 28-day gains that were 83.2 and 91.1%, respectively, for NCTL-HCl and 94.6 and 99.8% for NAM of the average gain resulting when DL-methionine was added at equivalent levels. Feed efficiencies were also significantly (P smaller than 0.05) improved over rats fed the basal diet. Increasing the HCTL-HCl addition to 0.6% reduced feed intake and gain but not feed efficiency.
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000502:physiology*; D007783:Lactones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D007783:Lactones; D006710:Homocysteine; D008715:Methionine