scholarly journals Amino acid availability: aspects of chemical analysis and bioassay methodology

2003 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Moughan

AbstractIt is important to be able to characterise foods and feedstuffs according to their available amino acid contents. This involves being able to determine amino acids chemically and the conduct of bioassays to determine amino acid digestibility and availability. The chemical analysis of amino acids is not straightforward and meticulousness is required to achieve consistent results. In particular and for accuracy, the effect of hydrolysis time needs to be accounted for. Some amino acids (for example, lysine) can undergo chemical modification during the processing and storage of foods, which interferes with amino acid analysis. Furthermore, the modified amino acids may also interfere with the determination of digestibility. A new approach to the determination of available lysine using a modifiedin vivodigestibility assay is discussed. Research is required into other amino acids susceptible to structural damage. There is recent compelling scientific evidence that bacterial activity in the small intestine of animals and man leads to the synthesis and uptake of dietary essential amino acids. This has implications for the accuracy of the ileal-based amino acid digestibility assay and further research is required to determine the extent of this synthesis, the source of nitrogenous material used for the synthesis and the degree of synthesis net of amino acid catabolism. Although there may be potential shortcomings in digestibility assays based on the determination of amino acids remaining undigested at the terminal ileum, there is abundant evidence in simple-stomached animals and growing evidence in human subjects that faecal-based amino acid digestibility coefficients are misleading. Hindgut microbial metabolism significantly alters the undigested dietary amino acid profile. The ileal amino acid digestibility bioassay is expected to be more accurate than its faecal-based counterpart, but correction of the ileal amino acid flow for amino acids of endogenous origin is necessary. Approaches to correcting for the endogenous component are discussed.

1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (4) ◽  
pp. E733-E741 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Tessari ◽  
R. Barazzoni ◽  
M. Zanetti ◽  
M. Vettore ◽  
S. Normand ◽  
...  

Whether tracers of different essential amino acids yield the same estimates of body protein turnover is still uncertain. Therefore, we have simultaneously determined leucine (Leu; using [14C]Leu), phenylalanine (Phe; using [13C]Phe), and tyrosine (Tyr; using [2H2]Tyr) rates of appearance (Ra) from proteolysis (PD), as well as Leu and Phe disposal, into protein synthesis (PS) both before and after an anabolic stimulus in healthy volunteers. Protein anabolism was stimulated by insulin plus a branched-chain amino acid-enriched aromatic amino acid-deficient amino acid solution, which increased Leu (from 145 +/- 9 to 266 +/- 10 mumol/l) but decreased Phe (from 57 +/- 2 to 46 +/- 3) and Tyr (from 58.7 +/- 5.5 to 21.0 +/- 2.2) concentrations. Postabsorptive endogenous Leu Ra (2.04 +/- 0.12 mumol.kg-1.min-1), Phe Ra (0.66 +/- 0.03), and Tyr Ra (0.45 +/- 0.06), as well as rates of PS determined with the leucine (1.65 +/- 0.10 mumol.kg-1.min-1) and the phenylalanine tracer (0.57 +/- 0.03), agreed well with the known abundance of these amino acids in body protein(s). After insulin and amino acids, PD was suppressed (P < 0.001) using all tracers. However, although percent suppression of endogenous Leu Ra (-->1.49 +/- 0.10 mumol.kg-1.min-1, 26 +/- 5%) and Phe Ra (-->0.53 +/- 0.02 mumol.kg-1.min-1, -20 +/- 2%) were comparable, endogenous Tyr Ra was suppressed to a larger extent (-->0.23 +/- 0.02 mumol.kg-1.min-1, -46 +/- 3% P = 0.038). PS was stimulated using the Leu (+24 +/- 7%, P < 0.02) but not the Phe (+6 +/- 4%, not significant) data. We conclude that isotopes of different essential amino acid: provide comparable estimates of PD and PS in the postabsorptive state. However, their responses to an anabolic stimulus may differ, possibly depending on exogenous amino acid availability and/or the resulting plasma levels.


1973 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isa K. Mushahwar ◽  
Roger E. Koeppe

Determination of the free amino acid and lactate content of testicular tissue in rat, guinea pig, rabbit, cat, gerbil, hamster, chicken and bullfrog indicates a substantial species variation. Insulin hypoglycaemia and ammonium acetate toxicity changes the concentration of several free amino acids of rat testes. 14C radioactivity from labelled acetate and ethanol is rapidly incorporated into some of the free amino acids of rat testes in vivo, whereas incorporation from [14C]glucose is relatively slow. These results have been compared with those obtained from similar studies with rat brain. In contrast to brain, there is no evidence for glutamate compartmentation in testes.


Amino Acids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grażyna Gałęzowska ◽  
Joanna Ratajczyk ◽  
Lidia Wolska

AbstractThe quantitation and qualification of amino acids are most commonly used in clinical and epidemiological studies, and provide an excellent way of monitoring compounds in human fluids which have not been monitored previously, to prevent some diseases. Because of this, it is not surprising that scientific interest in evaluating these compounds has resurfaced in recent years and has precipitated the development of a multitude of new analytical techniques. This review considers recent developments in HPLC analytics on the basis of publications from the last few years. It helps to update and systematize knowledge in this area. Particular attention is paid to the progress of analytical methods, pointing out the advantages and drawbacks of the various techniques used for the preparation, separation and determination of amino acids. Depending on the type of sample, the preparation conditions for HPLC analysis change. For this reason, the review has focused on three types of samples, namely urine, blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Despite time-consuming sample preparation before HPLC analysis, an additional derivatization technique should be used, depending on the detection technique used. There are proposals for columns that are specially modified for amino acid separation without derivatization, but the limit of detection of the substance is less beneficial. In view of the fact that amino acid analyses have been performed for years and new solutions may generate increased costs, it may turn out that older proposals are much more advantageous.


Author(s):  
Jorn Trommelen ◽  
Andrew M. Holwerda ◽  
Philippe J. M. Pinckaers ◽  
Luc J. C. van Loon

All human tissues are in a constant state of remodelling, regulated by the balance between tissue protein synthesis and breakdown rates. It has been well-established that protein ingestion stimulates skeletal muscle and whole-body protein synthesis. Stable isotope-labelled amino acid methodologies are commonly applied to assess the various aspects of protein metabolism in vivo in human subjects. However, to achieve a more comprehensive assessment of post-prandial protein handling in vivo in human subjects, intravenous stable isotope-labelled amino acid infusions can be combined with the ingestion of intrinsically labelled protein and the collection of blood and muscle tissue samples. The combined application of ingesting intrinsically labelled protein with continuous intravenous stable isotope-labelled amino acid infusion allows the simultaneous assessment of protein digestion and amino acid absorption kinetics (e.g. release of dietary protein-derived amino acids into the circulation), whole-body protein metabolism (whole-body protein synthesis, breakdown and oxidation rates and net protein balance) and skeletal muscle metabolism (muscle protein fractional synthesis rates and dietary protein-derived amino acid incorporation into muscle protein). The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the various aspects of post-prandial protein handling and metabolism with a focus on insights obtained from studies that have applied intrinsically labelled protein under a variety of conditions in different populations.


1973 ◽  
Vol 248 (7) ◽  
pp. 2387-2391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gladys E. Deibler ◽  
Russell E. Martenson

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 294-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Pilgrim ◽  
E T Young

Alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme III (ADH III) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the product of the ADH3 gene, is located in the mitochondrial matrix. The ADH III protein was synthesized as a larger precursor in vitro when the gene was transcribed with the SP6 promoter and translated with a reticulocyte lysate. A precursor of the same size was detected when radioactively pulse-labeled proteins were immunoprecipitated with anti-ADH antibody. This precursor was rapidly processed to the mature form in vivo with a half-time of less than 3 min. The processing was blocked if the mitochondria were uncoupled with carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. Mutant enzymes in which only the amino-terminal 14 or 16 amino acids of the presequence were retained were correctly targeted and imported into the matrix. A mutant enzyme that was missing the amino-terminal 17 amino acids of the presequence produced an active enzyme, but the majority of the enzyme activity remained in the cytoplasmic compartment on cellular fractionation. Random amino acid changes were produced in the wild-type presequence by bisulfite mutagenesis of the ADH3 gene. The resulting ADH III protein was targeted to the mitochondria and imported into the matrix in all of the mutants tested, as judged by enzyme activity. Mutants containing amino acid changes in the carboxyl-proximal half of the ADH3 presequence were imported and processed to the mature form at a slower rate than the wild type, as judged by pulse-chase studies in vivo. The unprocessed precursor appeared to be unstable in vivo. It was concluded that only a small portion of the presequence contains the necessary information for correct targeting and import. Furthermore, the information for correct proteolytic processing of the presequence appears to be distinct from the targeting information and may involve secondary structure information in the presequence.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (18) ◽  
pp. 7574-7581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena M. Dziągwa-Becker ◽  
Jose M. Marin Ramos ◽  
Jakub K. Topolski ◽  
Wiesław A. Oleszek

Free amino acid determination in plants by LC-MS/MS.


1972 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Shephard ◽  
Wendy B. Levin

The ability of chloroplasts isolated from Acetabulana mediterranea to synthesize the protein amino acids has been investigated. When this chloroplast isolate was presented with 14CO2 for periods of 6–8 hr, tracer was found in essentially all amino acid species of their hydrolyzed protein Phenylalanine labeling was not detected, probably due to technical problems, and hydroxyproline labeling was not tested for The incorporation of 14CO2 into the amino acids is driven by light and, as indicated by the amount of radioactivity lost during ninhydrin decarboxylation on the chromatograms, the amino acids appear to be uniformly labeled. The amino acid labeling pattern of the isolate is similar to that found in plastids labeled with 14CO2 in vivo. The chloroplast isolate did not utilize detectable amounts of externally supplied amino acids in light or, with added adenosine triphosphate (ATP), in darkness. It is concluded that these chloroplasts are a tight cytoplasmic compartment that is independent in supplying the amino acids used for its own protein synthesis. These results are discussed in terms of the role of contaminants in the observed synthesis, the "normalcy" of Acetabularia chloroplasts, the synthetic pathways for amino acids in plastids, and the implications of these observations for cell compartmentation and chloroplast autonomy.


2000 ◽  
Vol 167 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Wang ◽  
H Wolosker ◽  
J Pevsner ◽  
SH Snyder ◽  
DJ Selkoe

Little evidence is available for the physiological function of D-amino acids in species other than bacteria. Here we demonstrate that naturally occurring freed -aspartate (D-Asp) is present in all magnocellular neurons of rat hypothalamus. The levels of this naturally occurring D-amino acid were elevated during lactation and returned to normal thereafter in the magnocellular neurosecretory system, which produces oxytocin, a hormone responsible for milk ejection during lactation. Intraperitoneal injections of D-Asp reproducibly increased oxytocin gene expression and decreased the concentration of circulating oxytocin in vivo. Similar changes were observed in the vasopressin system. These results provide evidence for the role(s) of naturally occurring free D-Asp in mammalian physiology. The findings argue against the conventional concept that only L-stereoisomers of amino acids are functional in higher species.


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