title: Maximal portion of the young pig's sulfur amino acid requirement that can be furnished by cystine.
abstract: Three pig experiments were conducted using a chemically defined, amino acid diet under conditions in which all nutrients were 100% bioavailable to assess the maximal portion of the sulfur amino acid (SAA) requirement that could be furnished by cystine (Cys). In Exp. 1, a methionine (Met)-deficient diet containing .12% L-Met and .40% L-Cys was supplemented with graded levels of L-Met. Pigs weighing 10 kg initially responded quadratically (P less than .05) to Met supplementation. A two-slope, broken-line regression model (weight gain regressed on percentage of dietary Met) estimated an infection point at .23% dietary Met. A constant level of .46% dietary SAA with differing Met:Cys weight (wt:wt) ratios was used in Exp. 2. Pigs fed Met:Cys ratios of 60:40 and 50:50 had similar (P greater than .05) weight gains, but pigs fed a 40:60 Met:Cys ratio gained less (P less than .05) than those fed the other diets. Maintaining dietary sulfur at .111% in Exp. 3, pigs fed Met:Cys ratios (wt:wt) of 100:0, 55:45, 50:50, and 45:55 gained weight at similar (P greater than .05) rates, but pigs fed the 45:55 Met:Cys ratio had a tendency to produce lower weight gains. Regardless of whether a constant dietary SAA or sulfur level was maintained, no more than 50% of the young pig's total SAA requirement (wt:wt) could be furnished by Cys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000603:Amino Acids, Sulfur / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D003553:Cystine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000603:Amino Acids, Sulfur; D003553:Cystine