Isoleucine requirement of young growing male guinea pigs.

The isoleucine requirement of young, growing male guinea pigs was investigated by use of crystalline amino acid diets containing 3.65% nitrogen. Three-week-old guinea pigs were fed one of eight crystalline amino acid diets ranging from 0.2 to 1.2% isoleucine for 22 d. Diets were evaluated on the basis of body weight changes, nitrogen retention, carcass weight, liver weight, hematocrit, hemoglobin and carcass and liver weights expressed as percentages of live body weight. A 0.5% level of dietary isoleucine (2.2% of total nitrogen X 6.25) was the lowest level fed that did not have a response significantly lower than the higher levels fed, and that generally promoted a thrifty and well-groomed appearance of the animals.