Amino acid profile of bovine bone during growth

The amino acid profile of bovine bones at 2, 25 and 130 months of age was examined and the data were expressed as amino acid residues per 1000 total amino acid residues recovered. As age advance proline and hydroxyproline significantly increased in whole bone (P less than .01), while valine, tyrosine, methionine and histidine decreased (P less than .01). To a lesser extent phenylalanine and glutamic acid decreased with increasing age (P greater than .05). A substantial increase (P less than .05) in glycine and arginine, and a considerable decrease (P less than .05) in valine, tyrosine, methionine and histidine occurred between young (2 months) and intermediate (25 months) age bovine bone. The largest differences in amino acid distribution during growth were observed in bones from the young and intermediate age groups. Lower amounts of glycine were present in lumbar vertebra (P less than .05), whereas the highest amount of glycine was found in sacral vertebra when vertebra, ribs and femurs were compared. Proline and hydroxyproline residues were highest in the rib and femur. Vertebrae often contained higher levels of threonine, arginine, histidine, lysine and aspartic acid than either the rib or femur.