Supplementation of Methionine to a Low Soybean Protein Diet Strikingly Increases Pancreatic Amylase Activity in Rats

Abstract

Feed efficiency in rats fed a low soybean protein isolate (SPI) diet (100g/kg diet) was dramatically improved with the supplemen-tation of L-methionine (3g/kg, diet). Pancreatic amylase activity was low in rats fed a low SPI diet, and was much higher in the supplemented group than in the non-supplemented group. Pancreatic trypsinogen and chymo-trypsinogen contents (as activities of trypsin and chymotrypsin) were not changed with the methionine supplementation. In the small intestine, sucrase and leucine aminopeptidase in the jejunum and ileum were not clearly changed. In conclusion, a small amount of methionine supple-mented to a low SPI diet especially induced pancreatic amylase among digestive enzymes. The factor involved in nutritional status, not the physiological action of methionine itself, may contribute the induction of amylase.