HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Balnave, D. Articles by Brake, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Balnave, D. Articles by Brake, J.

Dietary Arginine:Lysine Ratio and Methionine Activity at Elevated Environmental Temperatures

Department of Animal Science, University of Sydney, Camden, N. S. W., Australia 2570

John Brake

Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608; Phone: (919) 515-5060; FAX: (919) 515-2625

Correspondence: John Brake, E-mail:john_brake{at}ncsu.edu

There has been much controversy concerning the relative efficacies of equimolar quantities of DL-methionine (DLM) and 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (HMB). Inspection of published literature suggests that the dietary Arginine:Lysine (Arg:Lys) ratio could be involved, especially during heat stress. In Experiment 1, conducted at 32°C, increasing supplemental HMB from 0.16 to . 32% in a diet with an Arg:Lys ratio of 1.36 produced a significant increase in body weight gain (BWG) from 21 to 38 days. However, increasing DLM in an equimolar manner did not. Feed intake (FI) was better for the HMB birds. In Experiment 2, where diets with an Arg:Lys ratio of 1.03, 1.20, or 1.34 were fed at 32°C, birds fed HMB gave significantly improved BWG and FCR at a higher FI between 42 and 48 days compared to birds fed DLM. The FI of birds fed DLM decreased more rapidly than the FI birds fed HMB as dietary Arg:Lys ration increased. Therefore, a knowledge of Arg:Lys ratio appears to be required to optimize the methionine activity source.

Key Words: Alimet • Arginine:lysine ratio • broilers • DL-methionine • temperature • 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Sauer, K. Emrich, H.-P. Piepho, A. Lemme, M. S. Redshaw, and R. Mosenthin Meta-Analysis of the Relative Efficiency of Methionine-Hydroxy-Analogue-Free-Acid Compared with DL-Methionine in Broilers Using Nonlinear Mixed Models Poult. Sci., October 1, 2008; 87(10): 2023 - 2031. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. L. Ribeiro, A. M. Kessler, T. H. Viola, I. C. M. Silva, L. Rubin, M. Raber, C. Pinheiro, and L. F. Lecznieski Nutritional Interaction of Methionine Sources and Sodium and Potassium Levels on Broiler Performance Under Brazilian Summer Conditions J. Appl. Poult. Res., January 1, 2008; 17(1): 69 - 78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Gonzalez-Esquerra and S. Leeson Effect of arginine:lysine ratios and source of methionine on growth and body protein accretion in acutely and chronically heat-stressed broilers. Poult. Sci., September 1, 2006; 85(9): 1594 - 1602. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]