Effectiveness of Urea and Ammonium Nitrogen for the Synthesis of Dispensable Amino Acids by the Chick

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Abstract
Studies were conducted on the relative effectiveness of different sources of nitrogen for the synthesis of dispensable amino acids by the chick. A purified-type of diet containing only the indispensable amino acids was used in these studies. Growth, feed efficiency, nitrogen retention and plasma amino acid concentrations were the criteria used to determine the extent to which the different sources were utilized. Chicks fed amino acid diets that permitted gains in weight of 4 to 5 gm/day utilized urea and diammonium citrate to achieve growth which was as rapid, although possibly not as efficient as that achieved by the inclusion of dispensable amino acids in the diet. Feeding urea and ammonium citrate increased nitrogen retention and increased plasma levels of dispensable amino acids, indicating that the nitrogen of urea and ammonium citrate was retained and converted to dispensable amino acid nitrogen. When the levels of indispensable amino acids of the basal diet were increased so that more rapid growth was possible, urea was not as effective as the intact dispensable amino acids.