Methionine-cystine interrelations in chicks fed diets containing suboptimal levels of methionine

Studies were conducted with chicks on the interrelationship between cystine and methionine in either crystalline amino acid or wheat-peanut meal diets containing suboptimal levels of these two amino acids. The crystalline amino acid basal diet contained 0.2% DL-menthionine and 0.2% L-cystine whereas the wheat-peanut meal diet contained 0.2% methionine and 0.26% cystine. Marked improvements in weight gain and feed efficiency were observed when these diets were supplemented with 0.2 to 0.6% DL-methionine. When similar levels of L-cystine were added to the basal diets containing 0.2% methionine, chick growth was depressed. When the diets contained 0.4% methionine, the growth depressing effect of cystine was not observed. These results point to the existence of an antagonism of cystine on methionine utilization when the dietary level of methionine is suboptimal.