Biopotency of methionine sources and their effects on sexual maturity of growing Japanese quail.
1. Japanese quail were fed on practical diets supplemented with graded amounts of DL-methionine (DL-M), DL-methionine-sodium (DL-M-Na), DL-methionine hydroxy-analogue calcium (DL-MHA-Ca) and DL-methionine hydroxy-analogue free acid (DL-MHA-FA) on an equimolar basis. 2. By the slope ratio assay using quail growth as the criterion, it was deduced that the biological activity of DL-M-Na, DL-MHA-Ca and DL-MHA-FA was approximately 0.96, 0.72 and 0.84 that of DL-M on an equimolar basis. 3. On a weight basis of the commercial products, the efficacies of DL-M-Na, DL-MHA-Ca and DL-MHA-FA were 0.38, 0.62 and 0.74, respectively. 4. Quail fed on the diet with the highest content of methionine had greater ovary weight, oviduct weight, oviduct length and egg production.
Shim
K F
KF
Department of Zoology, National University of Singapore.
Chen
E V
EV
D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D003370:Coturnix / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D008715:Methionine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects*; D011784:Quail / Q000254:growth & development*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*
C008391:alpha-hydroxy-gamma-methylmercaptobutyric acid; D008715:Methionine