Performance of Sunshine Bass Fed Soybean-Meal-Based Diets Supplemented with Different Methionine Compounds

Abstract

Abstract Practical diets that contain high levels of plant proteins often require supplementation with methionine to satisfy the total sulfur amino acid requirements of animals. The present study was designed to evaluate L-methionine, DL-methionine, N-acetyl-DL-methionine (acetylmethionine), and DL-methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) as supplements in soybean-meal-based diets for sunshine bass, the hybrid of white bass Morone chrysops ♀ × striped bass M. saxatilis ♂. Five practical diets were formulated to contain crude protein at 40% of dry weight, with 75% of the protein provided by soybean meal and 25% provided by menhaden fish meal. The basal diet provided total sulfur amino acids from intact protein at approximately 1.0% of dry diet, and the test diets were supplemented with each of the methionine compounds at 0.3% dry weight on an equal-sulfur basis (except for an additional 25% for MHA). A control diet was formulated to contain 40% crude protein exclusively from menhaden fish meal. All experimental die...