Effect of dietary DL-ethionine and/or DL-methionine on egg laying and activities of some cytoplasmic NAD linked-dehydrogenases and NADPH-producing enzymes in liver of Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica.

The effect of dietary DL-ethionine and/or DL-methionine on egg laying, and activities of some NAD linked-dehydrogenases and NADPH-producing enzymes in liver of Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica was investigated. A 0.30% DL-ethionine plus 0.30% DL-methionine supplemented diet reversed partially the egg laying inhibited by the diet with 0.30% DL-ethionine alone. No inhibitory effect on egg laying was observed for the diet supplemented with 0.30% DL-methionine alone. In marked contrast to the decreased activity of L-glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase, significantly increased activity of lactate dehydrogenase was obtained for quail fed the DL-ethionine, and the DL-ethionine plus the DL-methionine supplemented diet, respectively. No marked changes in activities of these three dehydrogenases were obtained for quail fed the diet supplemented with DL-methionine alone. Although decreased activity was observed for all of the four NADPH-producing enzymes in quail fed the diet supplemented with DL-ethionine alone, the DL-ethionine plus DL-methionine, the smallest decrease was obtained for NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase. The diet supplemented with DL-methionine alone induced markedly the respective activity of malic enzyme and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. These results indicate a relatively important function of NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase for NADPH-production even under DL-ethionine toxicity and suggest complicated relationships between egg production and activities of enzymes associated with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in quail liver.