The Free Blood Plasma Amino Acids of Swine as Related to the Source of Dietary Proteins

Abstract

Plasma amino acid levels in the young pig have been determined and found to be related to the amino acid composition of the dietary protein. Different plasma amino acid patterns have been observed for the 5 different protein sources analyzed, dried skim milk, soybean meal, fish meal, cottonseed meal and meat meal. These plasma amino acid patterns indicate, by comparison with the concentrations observed in the animals fed milk proteins, some of the amino acids that may be responsible for the inability of the young pig to maintain an optimal rate of body gain when fed a ration with some of these proteins as the source of supplementary protein.