Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica

ISSN: 0001-5121 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/saga19

Amino Acid Deposition in Mink during the Growth

Period

N. Glem-Hansen & N. Enggaard Hansen

To cite this article: N. Glem-Hansen & N. Enggaard Hansen (1981) Amino Acid Deposition
in Mink during the Growth Period, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, 31:4, 410-414, DOI:
10.1080/00015128109435721

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00015128109435721

Published online: 07 Sep 2009.

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 Amino Acid Deposition in Mink during
the Growth Period
N. GLEhI-HANSEN and N. ENGGAARD HANSEN

introduction One kit of each sex from the killings at 24

The amino acid composition of protein in pigs
at different body weights was investigated by
Buraczewski (1973). In spite of significant dif-
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August, when the summer pelt was assumed to be
fully developed, were shaved and the hair col-
lected for separate analyses. The purpose of this
was to estimate the amount of amino acids lost

ferences in content of amino acids per 16 g N by the moulting of the summer coat.
among weight groups it can be concluded that The animals did not have access to feed for
the variation in amino acid composition of the 16 hours before the killings in order to reduce
body protein due to age or body size is very the content of the gastrointestinal tract. The
limited. Thus the retention of each single amino gastrointestinal tract and the urinary bladder
acid is closely correlated to the N-retention. wcre not emptied after killing.
Smith (1980) has further shown that flesh from
different animal species have almost the same
proportion of essential amino acids, while greater Table 1. The perceiitnge conlpositioir arid the aiial-
differences between species were found for whole ysed coiiteiit of nutrients in the esperimetital diet
body proteins. Smith (1980) proposed that “Kera- (acerage of 9 sartiples)
tin composition and amount will vary between To the diet were added 4 % dried sugar beet pulp and
species but, except in the sheep, its total contribu- water to give a suitable consistency
tion is too small for likely variations to have
much effect”. However, the ratio of keratin to Cod offal 62.5
body protein will probably be even more pro- Plaice 10.0
Slaughterhouse offal 5.0
nounced for the mink than for the sheep. Blood meal 1.o
Fish meal 3.0
Bread meal 4.0
Wheat bran 1.o
Material and Methods Potato meal 4.0
Lard 2.0
Due to this assumption and to the fact that Fish oil 2.0
the sulphur containing amino zcids, which consti- Soy bean oil 0.5
tute a great part of the hair protein, is found to Vitamin-mineral mixturea 5.0
be the first limiting factor for protein utilization Dry matter, 5; 30.0
in mink feed (Glem-Hansen, 1980), the amino Crude protein, % digestible 10.4
Crude fat, ?b digestible 4.1
acid composition of mink carcasses at different Carbohydrates, 0’0digestible 4.1
stages during growth was investigated. Ash, 7; 4.4
The investigation included 16 female-and 16male Energy. kcal metabolizable 102.6
kits of standard type. A typical diet for Danish
conditions was fed ad lib. and the feed intake a The vitamin- and mineral mixture was guaranteed to
was registrated individually. The composition of contain per gram: 200 I.U. vitamin A, 20 I.U. vitamin
D-, 1 OOOi(g vitamin E, 4oopg vitamin B,, 200irg vitamin
the diet is shown in Table 1. B,. 160 p g niacin amide, 70 p g d-pantothenic acid, 130
Four kits of each sex were killed at the begin- 116 cholin chloride, 70 116 vitamin B,, 30 p g para amino
ning of the experiment on 7 July and then two benzoeic acid, 4 p g folic acid and 0.005 jlg vitamin BIZ.
kits of each sex were killed the following dates, The mixture contained the following amounts of miner-
als: 4.5 %, calcium carbonate, 0.8 ?$ sodium chloride, 0.2%
21 July, 3 August, 24 August, 14 September, 12 ferrous-fumarate. 0.3 ?& ferrous sulphate, 0.07 manganese
. October, and 6 December. oxide, 0.03?& copper oxide, and 0.04 zink oxide.
Acfa.Agririrllirrm Srandinarica 31 (1981)
 Amirio acid deposition iii mink 41 I

Table 2. The mean body weight (2)with its standard decciatioii ( s) arid daily feed irifake dirriiig the ex-
perimerital period for males arid females, respecticely
The data includesat any time the average for animals which have not been killed according to the experimental plan

Body weight, g Feed intake, g

Period of feeding 6d ?9 dd ??
(last date is the
date of weighing) a S z S 2 S z S

7 July-19 July 1113 78.3 790 46.1 259 24.0 211 8.7
20 July-2 August 1312 55.1 918 61.3 287 19.7 222 16.9
3 A~g.-23 A u ~ . I648 76.9 1029 104.5 318 21.4 229 20.7
24 Aug.-13 Sept. 1 I64 158.3 1067 132.5 312 43.5 243 26.8
14 Sept.-ll Oct. 1856 417.9 1090 174.0 304 82.3 233 19.0
12 0ct.-6 Dec. 2 147 17.0 913 187.4 309 8.5 219 15.6

The carcasses were kept in plastic bags at Enggaard Hansen & Glem-Hansen (1980) and
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- 18°C until preparation for analyses. The prep-
aration included the frozen carcasses to be chop-
ped once in a mincer (disc hole 8 mm) and then
freeze dried. After freeze drying, solid carbon
dioxide was added and a new dissection was
made in a machine with two rotating knives in a
cylindrical bowl (Robot Coupe R4). The prepara-
tion of the carcasses was previously described in
greater detail by Enggaard Hansen & Glem-
Hansen (1980).
Dry matter, ash, nitrogen, and crude fat
(Stoldt) were determined as described earlier by
analyses for amino acids in feed and carcasses
were made according to Mason et al. (1980).
Results and Discussion
The growth rates of the animals can be seen
from Table 2, as also can the daily feed intakes.
It should be kept in mind that neither the body
weight nor the feed intake covers the same
number of animals, since animals were killed at
different stages throughout the growth period.

Table 3. The meari body we&lit at killing, the coritent of amiiio acids as a perc&itage of the total amoiiiit
of amiiio acids in tlte carcasses of male arid female niiiik drrririg the growtli period, and the amino acid
nitrogen as n perceiitage of tlte total nitrogen (AA-N iii vh of total-N)

Content of amino acids in %

' of total amino acids

Males
7 July 804 6.7 7.2 8.5 3.5 14.7 10.8 2.2 3.1 7.2 5.6 1.9 3.1 1.5 5.4 4.3 3.3 4.6 79.1
20 July 1 147 6.8 1.3 8.4 3.1 14.6 10.8 2.2 3.2 7.2 6.0 1.9 3.7 7.7 5.2 4.2 3.2 4.6 80.2
3 Augusta 1246 6.7 7.2 8.6 3.1 14.7 10.4 2.2 3.3 7.4 5.8 1.9 3.8 7.4 5.2 4.4 3.3 4.7 78.7
24 Aug. 1638 6.7 7.1 8.4 2.8 14.5 10.6 2.3 3.2 7.2 6.3 1.9 3.8 1.4 5.0 4.2 3.2 4.6 83.2
14Scpt. 1771 6.8 1.0 8.6 2.8 14.7 10.4 2.5 3.3 1.4 6.5 2.0 3.9 1.2 5.0 4.2 3.2 4.6 81.2
12 Oct? 1860 6.7 7.1 8.5 3.1 14.8 10.2 2.4 3.3 7.4 6.2 2.1 3.8 7.1 5.2 4.3 3.3 4.7 80.0
6 Dec. 2 147 6.4 7.1 8.5 4.0 14.7 9.3 2.4 3.3 7.5 6.1 2.0 3.8 7.0 5.4 4.6 3.4 4.8 81.3
Females
7 July 576 6.6 1.2 8.4 3.6 14.6 10.5 2.1 3.2 1.3 6.0 1.9 3.1 1.4 5.4 4.3 3.3 4.7 79.9
20 July 720 6.8 7.2 8.6 3.0 14.6 10.4 2.3 3.3 7.5 6.1 1.9 3.9 7.2 5.1 4.4 3.3 4.7 -80.1
3 Aug. 815 6.1 7.2 8.6 3.1 14.6 10.4 2.3 3.4 7.4 6.1 2.0 3.8 7.3 5.1 4.3 3.3 4.7 79.0
24 Aug. 982 6.7 7.0 8.6 3.1 14.6 9.7 2.5 3.4 7.5 6.5 2.0 3.9 6.9 5.2 4.4 3.4 4.7 79.6
14 Sept. 1021 6.8 6.9 8.7 2.9 14.8 9.6 2.5 3.4 7.7 6.4 2.0 4.0 6.6 5.2 4.4 3.4 4.8 79.1
12 Oct; . 1095 6.4 7.0 8.3 4.1 14.8 9.5 2.4 3.3 7.4 6.3 1.9 3.7 7.1 5.5 4.3 3.4 4.6 80.1
6 Dec. 1 105 6.2 7.0 8.4 4.5 14.5 8.7 2.5 3.3 7.5 6.3 2.0 3.9 6.8 5.6 4.6 3.5 4.9 85.3

a The data represents only one animal.

. . Acta AgriciiliiirrP Scanciinarica 31 (1981)

 412 N. Clem-Hanseir arid N. Enggaard Haiiseii
1
Males
I -- . I
4 8 12 16 20 24 28
Age in weeks
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Fig. l a . Total amounts of nitrogen (0) and cystine ($I)
in males of standard type during the growth period.
One male died during the experimental period
and one male and one female did not develop
normally and were excluded from the investiga-
tion.
Due to difficulties in the analytical procedures
the samples were not analysed for content of
tryptophan.
The content of each single amino acid is given
as its percentage of the total amount of amino
acids (Table 3). The reason for use of this expres-
sion instead of g/16 g N is that most of the varia-
tion in amino acid content per 16 g of nitrogen
is due to variations in amino acid nitrogen as a
percentage of the total body nitrogen.
The contribution of most of the amino acids
in the carcasses was found to be very constant
throughout the growth period. However, the con-
tent of glycine-and to a certain degree proline-
decreased with increasing body weight and the
content was higher in males than in females.
The reason for this is probably that even though
the thicknes of the hide increased with increasing
body size (Reiten, 1977) and that the proportion
of these two amino acids is comparatively high in
the hide, the connective tissues contribute less to
the total body protein in large animals than in
small animals. Reiten’s (1977) investigation also
showed clearly that males had thicker hides
(0.28 mm) than had females (0.16 mm). Jrrrgen-
sen & Eggum (1971) found the percentage of
glycine in the protein of hide to be twice as high
as in body tissues. .The proportion of histidine
increased moderately with increasing age. These
Acfa APricirltwre Srnnrlinnricn 3 I (1981)
Females
a2 (3
L - . . - - - ~ I I
4 8 12 16 20 24 28
Age in weeks
Fig. Ib. Total amounts of nitrogen (0) and cystjne ($)
in females of standard type during the growth period.
differences agreed with the corresponding values
in pigs, as described by Buraczewski (1973).
The contribution of most of the amino acids
was roughly the same as in other animal species
(Smith, 1980). However, this investigation clearly
shows that cystine contributes a greater propor-
tion of the protein in mink than in most other
animal species investigated.
In Fig. 1(a, b) this is illustrated graphically for
males and females, respectively. For construction
of the initial part of the accumulation curves,
data from a previous investigation were used
(Glem-Hansen, 1979). In that investigation the
amino acid content of 24-day-old kits of standard
type was determined. With very small differences
the accumulation curves for all amino acids ex-
cept cystine follow the curve for nitrogen ac-
cumulation. The moulting of the summer coat is
reflected by a reduction in the increase in nitrogen
and cystine in the males. The females even show
a slightly decreasing content during this period.
Generally, the curves for cystine are steeper than
for nitrogen. During the period from 20 weeks of
age until pelting time at 32 weeks of age the
accumulation curves for cystine are much steeper
than for nitrogen. This agrees very well with the
results from earlier investigations of the require-
ments for sulphur amino acids for mink by
Glem-Hansen (19800).
If the amount of cystine retained in the period
prior to 24 August, but of which, according to
the two shaved mink, the bulk (above 60%) is
‘lost’ during moulting, is taken into considera-
tion, the curves for cystine accumulation would
be even steeper.
Table 4 shows the content of nitrogen and
amino acids in hair and hairless carcass of a
male and a female kit on 24 August. While the
 Anrino acid deposition in rniiik 413

Table 4. The coriterit of nitrogeri arid amitio acids

f;
in grams per animal iri hair ancl body of one male Males
oiid one feriiale riiirik or1 24 Airgust

Males Females I c 20 0 . _------

Hair Body Hair Body

. 0
Nitrogen 5.2 43.5 3.8 29.0 2
ALA 1.o 18.0 0.7 11.4
ARG 2.3 17.6 1.6 11.3
ASP 1.7 22.0 1.1 14.6
CYS 4.5 2.8 3.3 1.9
GLU 3.9 37.0 2.7 24.1
GLY 2.0 28.3 1.4 16.6 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
HIS 0.4 6.1 0.3 4.2
Age in weeks
ILE 0.7 8.3 0.4 5.7
LEU 1.8 18.5 1.2 12.6 Fig. 2. The calculated amounts of nitrogen accumulated
LYS 1.o 16.8 0.1 11.3 in hair, hairless carcass, and in thc total carcass of male
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hf ET 0.3 5.1 0.2 3.4 mink throughout the growth period. The calculations are
PH E 0.8 9.8 0.5 6.6 based on the content of cystine and methionine in hair
PRO 2.2 18.1 1.6 11.3 and hairless carcass in a male on 24 August and the actual
SER 2.9 11.1 2. I 1.3 amounts of cystine, methionine, and nitrogen in the
THR I .7 10.2 1.3 6.9 males at slaughter. 0 =total body; 0 =hairless carcass;
TYR 1.5 7.5 1.o 5.2 0 =hair.
VAL 1.4 11.5 0.9 7.7

18 weeks of agc until pelting (60-62% of the

hair contributes 1042% to the total nitrogen
retained, 60 to 62% of the retained cystine was
found in the hair. The amino acid composition of
the hair agreed very well with previous investiga-
tions by Jargensen & Eggum (1971) and Chavez
(1980), and thecomposition of the hairless carcass
was very close to that found for the total body
protein in rats and pigs by Smith (1980).
From the above-mentioned literature it is
reasonable to assume that the amino acid com-
position of hair and the hairless carcass is fairly
constant and is not dependent on the age of the
animals. If this assumption is accepted and the
contents of cystine and methionine in hair and
hairless carcass in the shaved male are used as
constants, the estimated amounts of nitrogen re-
tained in hair and carcass can be calculated for
each single animal as a n equation of second
degree based on its total content of cystine,
methionine and nitrogen.
Fig. 2 shows the curves for nitrogen accumula-
tion in hair, hairless carcass, and in the total
carcass of the males slaughtered at different
stages during the growth period. It is obvious
that while the accumulation of nitrogen in hair
is small compared with that in the carcass during
the period of intensive growth (10-12% of the
total N), the nitrogen retention in hair is pre-
dominant in the period from moulting at 16 to
total N). From this study it can be concluded that
the comparatively high requirement of protein to
obtain maximum development of the pelt during
the later part of the growth period (Glem-Hansen,
19806 and c) is almost entirely determined by
high amounts of cystine retained in hair. Logi-
cally, it should be possible to reduce the protein
content in the diet considerably by increasing the
amount of sulphur amino acids during this pe-
riod.
Summary
Sixteen male and 16 female kits fed a typical
Danish mink diet were investigated for their con-
tent of nitrogen and amino acids at seven stages
throughout the growth period.
For all the amino acids except cystine the ac-
cumulation curves were fairly similar to the curves
for nitrogen accumulation. The time of moulting
the summer coat was reflected by a reduced in-
crease or even a moderate decrease in the content
of amino acids in the animals during this period.
While the accumulation curves for cystine more
or less followed the curves for nitrogen during
the initial part of the growth period until the
kits were 12 weeks of age, the increase in cystine
was found to be smaller than the increase in
nitrogen from 12 to 20 weeks of age, but very
Acra AgricitItirrrr Scanditiaricu 31.(1981)
 414 N. Gletii-Hanseti arid N . Eiiggnard Hariser1
much greater during the period from 20 to 32
weeks of age.
The yrvilinearity of the content of cystine
agrees very well with previous results from ex-
periments t o determine the requirements for sul-
phur containing amino acids during the growth
period. The demand for sulphur amino acids in
that experiment was found to be considerably
higher in the period from 20 to 24 weeks of age
than in the periods before and after this time.
From the content of cystine, methionine, and
nitrogen in hair and hairless body and in the
total body at slaughter, the contents of nitrogen
accumulated in hair and body, respectively, were
calculated. The curves for accumulation showed
that the relationship between nitrogen retained in
hair and carcass changed dramatically during the
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growth period. During the period of intensive
growth from 10-17 weeks of age 10-12% of the
accumulated nitrogen was retained in hair, while
this figure was 60-62% during the period from
17 weeks of age until pelting at 32 weeks of age.
References
Buraczewski, S. 1973. Amino acid composition of the
body of pigs and its implication in the amino acid
requirements. Proc. SJniposirini on Amino Acids, Brno,
Creclroslorakia, 6 pp.
Actn Apriculturre Scandinacica 31 (1981)
Chavez, E. R. 1980. Amino-acid profile of the plasma,
pelt and hair of adult mink. Proc. Second Internat.
Scientific Congress in Fur Aninial Prod., Denmark, 1 pp.
Enggaard Hansen, N. & Clem-Hansen, N. 1980. Deposi-
tion of nutrients in growing mink related to feeding
with sulphuric acid preserved fish. Proc. Second Infer-
not. Scientific Congress in Fur Aninial Prod., Denmark,
19 PP.
Glem-Hansen, N. 1979 .Protein requirement for mink in
the lactation period. Acfa Agric. Scand. 29, 129-138.
Glem-Hansen, N. 1980a. The requirement for sulphur
containing amino acids of mink during the growth
period. Acra Agric. Scand. 30, 349-356.
Glem-Hansen, N. 19806. The protein requirement of
mink during the growth period. 1. Effect of protein
intake o n nitrogen balance. Acfa Agric. Scand. 30,336-
344.
Glem-Hansen, N. 1980~.Ibid. 11. Effect of protein intake
on growth rate and pelt characteristics. Acra Agric.
Scand. 30, 345-348.
Jorgensen, G . & Eggurn, B. 0. 1971. hiinkskindcts op-
bygning. Dansk Pelsdjrarl34,261-267.
Mason, V. C.,Bech Andersen, S. & Rudemo, hl. 1980.
Hydrolysate preparation for amino acid determina-
tions in feed constituents. Z . Tierphjsiol., TierernBhrg.
FutterniittclX.de. 43, I 4 6 4 64.
Reiten, J. 1977. Korrelationer mellom storrelse o g pels-
egenskaber hos mark mink. hfctdinger Ira Norges
Landbrukshogskole 56, no. 48, I5 pp.
Smith, R. H. 1980. Comparative amino acid require-
ments. Proc. Nutr. SOC.39, 71-78.
hls received November 26, 1980
Printed October 15, 1981