Effects of Varied Levels and a Single Daily Supplement of Lysine on the Nutritional Improvement of Wheat Flour Proteins

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to study the effect of various levels of lysine supplementation on the nutritional value of the wheat flour proteins for the young rats, and to study further whether the lysine supplement administered apart from the diet once a day was as well utilized as the same amount of supplement incorporated in the diet. Growth data and the biological value indicated that the nutritional value of the flour proteins was improved by the lysine supplementation up to a level of 0.20 or 0.25%, but that liver and carcass composition afforded little information of value at these levels. Certain adverse effects occurred when the flour diet was supplemented with 1.0% of lysine. When food intakes were equalized at a suboptimal level, growth data and the biological value obtained with lysine supplementation by stomach tube were similar to those with the supplementation in the diet. Growth data and the biological value obtained with the lysine supplement administered apart from the diet, either immediately or 4, 8, 12 or 16 hours after the 4-hour feeding period, were not different from those observed with the lysine supplement incorporated in the diet.