ABSTRACT
Lysine is known to be the first limiting amino acid in cereal based concentrate diets as fed to many species. An animal’s need for lysine is not only dependent on species, but also factors such as its live weight, energy intakes, sex, genotype, environmental conditions, and physiological state. The absorption of lysine from the digestive tract is initially dependent on the hydrolysis of feed in the digestive tract. The utilization of protein-bound lysine is dependent on the source of protein, processing of the protein, the presence of toxic factors, as well as the physiological state of the animals. M. R. Taverner and D. J. Farrell found that the hemicellulose content of grains was associated with the apparent digestibility of lysine to the ileum and protein digestibility. The ileal digestibility or availability measurements by growth trials should be of economic value in the formulation of diets for pigs.
