Arginine in poultry nutrition

Abstract

1. A series of trials has been conducted to investigate interactions between amino acids in the diet of the growing chick. 2. Diets were prepared in which the level of arginine was limiting. To these diets were added excess levels of lysine, histidine, isoleucine and leucine. Of these amino acids lysine was most effective in reducing the growth rate. Growth rate was restored by adding arginine. 3. The addition of excess quantities of lysine to a diet in which the level of tryptophan was limiting and the level of arginine adequate did not reduce growth rate. 4. These results confirm the existence of a specific interaction between arginine and lysine. The concept is discussed that such specific interactions between pairs or among small groups of amino acids might underly many of the phenomenons of amino acid imbalance.