[Studies on the protein and amino-acid metabolism of laying hens using 15N-labelled casein. 15N-incorporation into N-fractions and amino acids of various parts of the body].

Four colostomized Leghorn hens were fed, during 6 days, 15N-labelled casein as sole protein source. Two animals were slaughtered 48 hours, the other two 144 hours after the last 15N-application. The share of TCE-soluble N in total N averaged 16% for the body parts analysed, i.e. meat, bone, liver, kidneys, oviducts, residual viscera and other. The variation of the lysine, histidine and arginine levels in the body parts ranged from 3.6 to 7.9 g, 1.1. to 3.7 g and 6.4 to 7.4 g in 16.7 g hydrolysate N, respectively. Except for feathers, the analysed body parts contained and excess amount of heavy nitrogen. The degree of labelling was found to depend on the time of slaughtering after the tracer application. In the liver and in the oviduct being metabolically active organs, the 15N-excess in the total N fraction decreased by 45% between the 2nd and the 6th days after 15N-feeding, whilst in the meat it went down by 20%. The decline of the 15N-concentration in the TCE-soluble N compounds was faster than in the total N-fraction. Out of the body samples analysed, the lysine of the liver having 0.26 atom % 15N-excess was found to be more strongly labelled in hens 1 and 2. The amino acid arginine reached about the same level of labelling, the 15N-frequency of histidine being the lowest.