Branched-Chain Amino Acids: Ringmasters of Amino Acid Catabolism in Enterocytes?

Abstract

It is not clear if branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) play a central role in determining the relative extents to which glucose or amino acids are catabolised in the gut mucosa for energy provision. Nevertheless, they demand close attention especially given the intense interest in low-protein diets with high synthetic amino acid inclusions. Additions of synthetic BCAA will modify digestive dynamics immensely, quite possibly with pivotal implications for the successful development of low-protein diets for chicken-meat production.