Use of α-Aminoisobutyric Acid as an Internal Indicator in Chick Plasma Amino Acid Studies

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Abstract
α-Aminoisobutyric acid (AIBA), a non-metabolizable amino acid, was incorporated into the diets of one-week-old chicks to serve as an indicator of amino acid absorption. The levels of AIBA and of the metabolizable amino acids in the plasma were subsequently determined. Plasma concentrations of AIBA were found to be proportional to dietary levels fed. In general the indicator revealed that imbalanced diets were not as rapidly absorbed as balanced diets. Relating the metabolizable amino acid uptake to that of the indicator improved the precision with which known amino acid deficiencies in both crystalline amino acid and intact protein diets could be predicted by the plasma amino acid method described.