Beschreibung:
<jats:sec><jats:label /><jats:p>Protein nutrition is crucial for intestinal development and whole body growth of early life. Although glutamic acid (Glu) in the body derives generally from synthesis de novo, intestines require dietary input of Glu for energy production, alanine synthesis and so on. This study investigated the effects of Glu removal from foods on growth and intestinal morphology in weaning rats to discuss on essentiality of dietary Glu.</jats:p><jats:p>Weaning male SD rats were given any of the following 4 kinds of amino acid (AA) defined diets with normal or low AA (50% reduction) compositions or their Glu‐free compositions for 2‐3 weeks either in ad libitum or controlled feeding.</jats:p><jats:p>Linear relation was seen between food intake and body weight gain in rats fed normal AA diet (r= 0.99). The relation in rats fed Glu‐free diets apparently different from that of normal AA; the growth was smaller for their food intakes as was in rats fed low AA diet, indicating growth reduction by Glu removal. This was confirmed by pair feeding study; feeding of the same amount of Glu‐free diet resulted in smaller growth, lower intestinal weight and shorter intestinal villus height. These changes caused by Glu removal were also evident in rats fed low AA diet. These results suggest nutritional importance of dietary Glu in general foods for normal growth including intestinal development of early life both in well‐nourished and protein malnourished states.</jats:p></jats:sec>