Effect of bound gossypol and amino acid supplementation of glandless cottonseed meal on the growth of weanling rats.

After a feeding study comparing the growth response of rats fed a 10% protein diet of glandless cottonseed meal with the same meal to which gossypol had been bound showed the latter produced significantly lower weight gains, two experiments were conducted in which the diets were supplemented with single amino acids. The amino acids were either L-lysine, L-isoleucine, L-valine or L-threonine and were included at the level to bring the dietary level to that recommended for young rats. In a third experiment L-methionine was added to the above list of amino acids. In a fourth experiment the five amino acids were included in combination at the levels they were supplemented individually. In experiments 2 and 3 there were significant differences between the corresponding gossypol-free and the bound gossypol-containing diets. There was no difference between the gossypol-free and gossypolcontaining control diets and the respective diets supplemented with an amino acid. In experiment 4 amino acid supplementation did not improve gains above the gossypol-free control, but did significantly improve gains for the gossypol-containing diet. (