Dietary Effects on the Need for Glycine by the Chick

Abstract

Summary

There was no difference in the activity of serine hydroxymethyltransferase in the liver of chicks fed a 24% casein diet and 1.2% L-arginine compared with 0.4% L-arginine-HCl. The presence of L-serine or glycine in an amino acid mixture diet increased the plasma glycine or serine level respectively and the presence of L-serine in the same diet increased the ratio of plasma cystine to methionine. A level of 1.9% L-serine failed to improve the growth of chicks fed a 24% casein diet while the level of 3.36% L-serine supported growth of chicks equal to that of 1.2% glycine.