Supplemental methionine sources have a neutral impact on oxidative status in broiler chickens.

To determine the effect of different dietary Met sources on oxidative status, male Cobb 500 broiler chickens were fed from day of hatch to 26 days of age (d26) a diet deficient in sulfur amino acids (control) or a diet containing 0.22% DL-Met, 0.22% L-Met or 0.31% Met precursor, DL-2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (DL-HMTBA) to meet the Met + Cys requirements. Liver, breast muscle, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were collected at day 10 (d10) and d26 to assay markers of oxidative stress, including total glutathione (TGSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), reduced glutathione (rGSH), protein carbonyls, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP). In breast muscle, TGSH and rGSH were greater in L-Met and DL-HMTBA groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). An interaction of treatment and age was observed for TGSH in ileum (p = 0.01) and jejunum (p = 0.01), for GSSG in jejunum (p < 0.001), and for rGSH in ileum (p = 0.02). The ratios of rGSH to GSSG and GSSG to TGSH, which define oxidative status, were not affected by Met source. Protein carbonyls varied among groups in jejunum (p = 0.05) and breast muscle (p < 0.001), but were in the normal physiological range. No difference among treatment groups was observed for TBARS and FRAP in different tissues. Age effects were observed in all tissues for multiple oxidative stress markers. In conclusion, consuming different sources of supplementary Met did not alter the oxidative status in several tissues of broilers. Met + Cys deficiency did not compromise antioxidant capacity of chickens although growth was retarded.

Gastrointestinal methionine shuttle: Priority handling of precious goods.

Methionine (Met) is a neutral, sulfur-containing, essential amino acid with biological functions in the initiation and prolongation step of protein synthesis, transmethylation reactions, the synthesis of cysteine and cystine, and as a component of antioxidant systems. Its key importance is reflected by the fact that it is usually absorbed from the diet with highest efficiency among all proteinogenic amino acids but may yet not optimally support metabolism and health. As such, crystalline Met supplements are partly used in man and heavily used in production of animal species (poultry, fish, shrimps, pigs and cattle) to provide improved health and performance. The main intention of this review is to analyze the current knowledge on transport proteins with proven or hypothetical relevance for Met absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, especially the small intestine. These transporters include Na+ -dependent B0 AT1 and ATB0,+ and the Na+ -independent exchanger b0,+ /rBAT in the apical membrane, which may be supported by the Na+ -dependent systems ASCT2 and IMINO. The basolateral exit of Met appears to be largely limited to a single uniporter protein, LAT4. Insufficient or overtaxed efflux via LAT4 may lead to significant intracellular accumulation and metabolism of Met in the absorptive state. The latter can release large amounts of homocysteine into the blood, which favors atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular, as well as neurological, diseases. When LAT4 is defective, basolateral Met exit may be compensated to a certain degree by the Met exchange proteins 4F2hc/LAT2 or 4F2hc/LAT1; while carriers 4F2hc/y+ LAT1, 4F2hc/y+ LAT2, SNAT1 and SNAT2, may serve primarily for basolateral Met import. Expression of SNAT2 is increased when amino acid supply from the lumen ceases, suggesting a key role for Met supply of enterocytes in interdigestive periods. Enterocytes themselves have a huge requirement for Met to synthesize mucins and glutathione. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(12):924-934, 2016.

Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acids extends the adiponectin deficit during early lactation in dairy cows.

Decreasing insulin sensitivity (IS) in peripheral tissues allows for partitioning nutrients towards the mammary gland. In dairy cows, extensive lipid mobilization and continued insulin resistance (IR) are typical for early lactation. Adiponectin, an adipokine, promotes IS. Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) in rodents and humans reduces fat mass whereby IR and hyperinsulinemia may occur. In dairy cows, CLA reduce milk fat, whereas body fat, serum free fatty acids and leptin are not affected. We aimed to investigate the effects of CLA supplementation on serum and adipose tissue (AT) adiponectin concentrations in dairy cows during the lactation driven and parity modulated changes of metabolism. High yielding cows (n=33) were allocated on day 1 post partum to either 100 g/day of a CLA mixture or a control fat supplement (CON) until day 182 post partum. Blood and subcutaneous (sc) AT (AT) biopsy samples were collected until day 252 post partum to measure adiponectin. Serum adiponectin decreased from day 21 pre partum reaching a nadir at calving and thereafter increased gradually. The distribution of adiponectin molecular weight forms was neither affected by time, parity nor treatment. Cows receiving CLA had decreased serum adiponectin concentrations whereby primiparous cows responded about 4 weeks earlier than multiparous cows. The time course of adiponectin concentrations in sc AT (corrected for residual blood) was similar to serum concentrations, without differences between CLA and CON. CLA supplementation attenuated the post partum increase of circulating adiponectin thus acting towards prolongation of peripartal IR and drain of nutrients towards the mammary gland.

Gene expression and activity of methionine converting enzymes in broiler chickens fed methionine isomers or precursors.

Common dietary supplemental methionine (Met) sources include DL-methionine (DL-Met) and the Met precursor DL-2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (DL-HMTBA). For bio-utilization, D-Met and DL-HMTBA are converted into L-Met through oxidation and transamination. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different dietary supplemental Met sources on gene expression and enzyme activity of Met oxidases in male broiler chickens. Liver, muscle, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were collected at days 10 (d 10), 21 (d 21), and 26 (d 26) post-hatch from male broiler chickens that were fed a basal diet deficient in sulfur amino acids (SAA) (control), or the control diet supplemented with DL-Met, L-Met, or DL-HMTBA to meet SAA requirements. The mRNA abundance of D-Met oxidase, L-HMTBA oxidase, and D-HMTBA oxidase was measured by real-time PCR, and oxidase activities were measured using colorimetric assays (n = 5). Liver expressed more D- and L-HMTBA oxidase mRNA, while breast muscle and liver expressed more D-Met oxidase mRNA than other tissues. In the liver, DL-HMTBA and L-Met supplementation were associated with greater mRNA abundance of L-HMTBA oxidase compared to the control diet-fed group at d 10 but not d 21 or d 26. DL-HMTBA supplementation, however, was not associated with changes in the mRNA abundance of D-HMTBA oxidase. The Met-deficient diet at d 26 was associated with greater hepatic abundance of DAO mRNA, which is responsible for oxidation of amino acids. Oxidase activities were similar among the Met deficient and Met-supplemented groups. In conclusion, dietary Met supplementation influenced the transcriptional regulation and activity of Met oxidases in a tissue and age-specific manner. Met oxidases may thus act as a determining factor in the bioefficacy of different dietary supplemental Met sources.

Physiological and biochemical aspects of methionine isomers and a methionine analogue in broilers.

Methionine is the first limiting amino acid in all poultry corn-soybean based diets. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of supplementation of L-methionine (L-Met), DL-methionine (DL-Met), and the methionine analogue, DL-2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (DL-HMTBA), on biochemical and physiological parameters of broiler chickens. Male Cobb-500 broilers were fed from day of hatch (d 0) to d 35 posthatch using a basal diet deficient in methionine plus cysteine (Met + Cys) (control), or the basal diet supplemented with 0.22% DL-Met, 0.22% L-Met, or 0.31% DL-HMTBA to meet the Met + Cys requirements. Tissue (liver, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) and blood samples were collected at various ages, from d 0 to d 35. Performance of the birds, blood parameters (e.g., acute phase proteins, white blood cell counts), mRNA expression of intestinal nutrient transporters and DNA methylation properties of liver tissues were examined. Both body weight and feed efficiency were improved in methionine supplemented groups compared to the control group. No significant differences were observed among DL-Met, L-Met, and DL-HMTBA for growth performance parameters. L-Met and DL-Met supplementation decreased the acute phase protein, serum amyloid A, while DL-HMTBA had no effect. Methionine supplementation had no effect on white blood cell differentiation count, hepatic total DNA methylation, or DNA methyltransferase activity. L-Met and DL-Met, but not DL-HMTBA, supplementation, resulted in enhanced expression of the ATB0,+ and B0AT transporters in various small intestinal segments. All methionine sources increased expression of MCT1 in the jejunum. In conclusion, methionine supplementation improved growth performance of male broilers. Methionine supplementation was also associated with changes in intestinal nutrient transporter gene expression in certain segments and ages, suggesting that intestinal amino acid absorptive function can be regulated by the source of amino acid and effects are complex and dynamic.

Plasma amino acids and metabolic profiling of dairy cows in response to a bolus duodenal infusion of leucine.

Leucine (Leu), one of the three branch chain amino acids, acts as a signaling molecule in the regulation of overall amino acid (AA) and protein metabolism. Leucine is also considered to be a potent stimulus for the secretion of insulin from pancreatice ß-cells. Our objective was to study the effects of a duodenal bolus infusion of Leu on insulin and glucagon secretion, on plasma AA concentrations, and to do a metabolomic profiling of dairy cows as compared to infusions with either glucose or saline. Six duodenum-fistulated Holstein cows were studied in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3 periods of 7 days, in which the treatments were applied at the end of each period. The treatments were duodenal bolus infusions of Leu (DIL; 0.15 g/kg body weight), glucose (DIG; at Leu equimolar dosage) or saline (SAL). On the day of infusion, the treatments were duodenally infused after 5 h of fasting. Blood samples were collected at -15, 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75, 90, 120, 180, 210, 240 and 300 min relative to the start of infusion. Blood plasma was assayed for concentrations of insulin, glucagon, glucose and AA. The metabolome was also characterized in selected plasma samples (i.e. from 0, 50, and 120 min relative to the infusion). Body weight, feed intake, milk yield and milk composition were recorded throughout the experiment. The Leu infusion resulted in significant increases of Leu in plasma reaching 20 and 15-fold greater values than that in DIG and SAL, respectively. The elevation of plasma Leu concentrations after the infusion led to a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the plasma concentrations of isoleucine, valine, glycine, and alanine. In addition, the mean concentrations of lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, taurine, threonine, and asparagine across all time-points in plasma of DIL cows were reduced (P<0.05) compared with the other groups. In contrast to the working hypothesis about an insulinotropic effect of Leu, the circulating concentrations of insulin were not affected by Leu. In DIG, insulin and glucose concentrations peaked at 30-40 and 40-50 min after the infusion, respectively. Insulin concentrations were greater (P<0.05) from 30-40 min in DIG than DIL and SAL, and glucose was elevated in DIG over DIL and SAL from 30-75 min and 40-50 min, respectively. Multivariate metabolomics data analysis (principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis) revealed a clear separation when the DIL cows were compared with the DIG and SAL cows at 50 and 120 min after the infusion. By using this analysis, several metabolites, mainly acylcarnitines, methionine sulfoxide and components from the kynurenine pathway were identified as the most relevant for separating the treatment groups. These results suggest that Leu regulates the plasma concentrations of branched-chain AA, and other AA, apparently by stimulating their influx into the cells from the circulation. A single-dose duodenal infusion of Leu did not elicit an apparent insulin response, but affected multiple intermediary metabolic pathways including AA and energy metabolism by mechanisms yet to be elucidated.

Effect of methionine supplementation in chicken feed on the quality and shelf life of fresh poultry meat.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different methionine sources and concentrations on the quality and spoilage process of broiler meat. The trial was comprised of 7 treatment groups: one basal group (suboptimal in Methionine+Cysteine; i.e., 0.89, 0.74, 0.69% in DM SID Met+Cys in starter, grower, and finisher diets, respectively) and 3 doses (0.10, 0.25, and 0.40%) of either DL-Methionine (DLM) or DL-2-hydroxy-4-methylthio butanoic acid (DL-HMTBA) on an equimolar basis of the DLM-supplemented groups. The broilers were fed the diets for 35 d, then slaughtered and processed. The filets were aerobically packed and stored under temperature controlled conditions at 4°C. Meat quality investigations were comprised of microbial investigations (total viable count and Pseudomonas spp.), pH and drip loss measurements of the filets. The shelf life of the meat samples was determined based on sensory parameters. After slaughtering, all supplemented meat samples showed a high quality, whereby no differences between the 2 methionine sources could be detected for the microbial load, pH, and drip loss. In comparison to the control group, the supplemented samples showed a higher sensory quality, characterized by a fresh smell and fresh red color. Methionine supplementation had a significant influence on meat quality parameters during storage. The microbial load, pH and drip loss of the chicken filets were positively correlated to the methionine concentration. Additionally, the microbial load at the end of storage was positively correlated to pH and drip loss values. Nevertheless, the microbial parameters were in a normal range and the positive correlation to methionine concentration did not affect the sensory shelf life. The mean sensory shelf life of the broiler filets varied between 7 to 9 d. During storage, no difference in the development of sensory parameters was observed between the supplemented groups, while the spoilage process of the basal group occurred slightly faster. In conclusion, methionine concentration, but not methionine source, effected meat quality parameters in breast muscles of broilers.

Longitudinal profiling of the tissue-specific expression of genes related with insulin sensitivity in dairy cows during lactation focusing on different fat depots.

In dairy cows the milk associated energy output in early lactation exceeds the input via voluntary feed intake. To spare glucose for mammary lactose synthesis, peripheral insulin sensitivity (IS) is reduced and fat mobilization is stimulated. For these processes a link between IS and the endocrine functions of adipose tissue (AT) is likely; we thus aimed to characterise the mRNA expression from bovine AT derived proteins and receptors that are related to IS according to the literature in metabolically active tissues plus systemic IS throughout lactation. Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) reduce milk fat thus decreasing the milk drain of energy and potentially dampening lipolysis, but may also affect IS. Subcutaneous (s.c.) AT and liver from pluriparous cows receiving either control fat or CLA supplement (100 g/day from 1 to 182 days in milk each) were biopsied covering week -3 to 36 relative to parturition. In an additional trial with primiparous cows treated analogously and slaughtered on days in milk 1, 42 or 105, samples from liver, udder, skeletal muscle and 3 visceral and 3 s.c. AT were obtained and assayed for mRNA abundance of adiponectin, its receptors, leptin, leptin receptor, PPARγ, PPARγ2, IL-6, and TNF-α. In pluriparous animals, the mRNA abundance of most of the target genes decreased after parturition in s.c. AT but increased in liver. In primiparous cows, AT depot specific differences were mostly related to retroperitoneal AT; adiponectin receptor 1 and TNF-α were affected predominantly. CLA effects in primiparous cows were largely limited to decreased PPARγ2 mRNA abundance in udder tissue. In pluriparous cows, insulin secretion was increased by CLA resulting in decreased systemic IS but without consistent changes in tissue target mRNA abundance. The temporal gene expression profiles from the adipokines and related receptors support their coactive function in adapting to the needs of lactation.