Pancreatic amylase in chickens fed on soya-bean diets

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Abstract
1. The action of raw and heated soya beans on pancreatic function was studied by measuring the amylase activity of the pancreases and intestinal contents of intact chickens and of chickens with ileostomies at fasting and after eating, before and after adaptation to heated and raw soya-bean diets, with a methionine supplement and without. 2. The concentration of amylase in the pancreases of 8-week-old chickens eating raw soya-bean diets was lower than that of those eating heated soya-bean diets. These chickens were deficient in methionine; supplementation of the raw soya-bean diet with methionine greatly increased the levels of amylase in the pancreases of such chickens; supplementation of the heated soya-bean diet with methionine increased the levels of amylase in pancreases to a smaller extent. 3. Methionine was less effective in increasing the amylase levels of the pancreases of 11-week-old chickens eating raw soya-bean diets, since at this age the deficiency of methionine was much less pronounced. 4. More amylase activity was found in intestinal contents of chickens eating raw soya-bean diets than in those eating heated soya-bean diets. 5. In vitro studies showed that fractions prepared from raw soya beans, all containing high levels of trypsin inhibitors, stabilized amylase activity despite the active proteolysis of other protein substrates in the same amylase-containing mixtures. 6. CaCl2stabilized amylase activity in vitro in unactivated and activated pancreatic juice as such, and after additions of raw soya beans or their fractions before and after autoclaving. 7. The increased levels of amylase found in the intestinal contents of the chickens eating raw soya beans may represent greater secretion of amylase activity by the pancreas, stabilization of amylase activity by the raw soya bean, or both factors. Interpretation of measurements of amylase activity in the intestinal contents of chickens eating heated or raw soya beans is uncertain. 8. The bearing of this work on current views of the nutritional value of raw and heated soya beans is discussed.