The Catabolism of C¹⁴-Labeled Amino Acids by Weanling Rats Fed Heated or Raw Soybean Meal

Authors

Sarah Moenter Andersen, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Document Type

Thesis

Date of this Version

2-1964

Citation

Thesis (M.S.)—University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 1964. Department of Chemistry.

Comments

Copyright 1964, the author. Used by permission.

Abstract

Weanling rats fed heated or raw SBM were injected with radioactive methionine, arginine, phenylalanine, leucine, threonine, and valine. The radioactive carbon dioxide excreted was collected and counted and the results graphed to show the rates of metabolism. The factors, r/h x 100, were also calculated and graphed. The following conclusions were reached:

1. When the first four amino acids were injected in rats fed raw SBM, the same rates of metabolism were obtained as when these amino acids were injected in rats on heated SBM.

2. When threonine and valine were injected in rats fed heated SBM, the rates of metabolism were the same as when the first four amino acids were injected in both raw and heated SBM animals.

3. When threonine and valine were injected in rats fed raw SBM, the rates of metabolism increased considerably over the heated ration.

4. The factors, r/h x 100, calculated for the first four amino acids remained constant throughout each pair of experiments, further indicating the equal rates of metabolism by the heated and raw SBM animals.

5. The factors, r/h x 100, calculated for the threonine and valine experiments, remained constant for three or four hours and then took a sharp increase, indicating the increased rate of metabolism of these amino acids by the raw SBM animals.

6. The increased rate of metabolism of threonine and valine by the raw SBM animals is the reason for the necessity of adding these amino acids to raw SBM to increase the growth rate equal to that obtained from heated SBM.

Advisor: Raymond Borchers