Methionine toxicity in the chick: nutritional and metabolic implications

Several assays with young chicks fed crystalline amino acid diets were conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental glycine, serine, threonine, arginine, or adenine on the growth depression resulting from consumption of excess methionine. Glycine was partially effective in alleviating the growth depression caused by excess methionine. The addition of threonine together with glycine improved performance still further. Efficiency of food utilization for weight gain was greater in birds fed the methionine-imbalanced diet supplemented with glycine and threonine than in those fed the control diet. Supplemental glycine, threonine, or adenine, but not arginine, was effective in ameliorating the hypoglycemia resulting from consumption of excess methionine. The rate of oxidation of a tracer dose of threonine was increased markedly by feeding 1.25% excess methionine. This was reflected in a 20% depression in threonine utilization for weight gain as measured by slope ratio. The data suggest that both threonine and glycine are antagonized by consumption of excess methionine.