Nutritional Characteristics and Functions of D-Amino Acids in the Chicken

• Published in: The Journal of Poultry Science Vol. 57; no. 1; pp. 18 - 27
• Main Authors: Tomonaga, Shozo, Furuse, Mitsuhiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Japan Poultry Science Association 01-01-2020; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Amino acids; Antibiotics; Asset acquisitions; Bacteria; Cell walls; Chickens; D-amino acid; D-Amino acids; Fermented food; function; Gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal tract; Isomers; L-amino acid; Nutrition; Peptide antibiotics; Poultry; Review; Terrestrial environments; Vertebrates; chickens; nutrition; L-amino acid; D-amino acid; function
• ISSN: 1346-7395; 1349-0486
• DOI: 10.2141/jpsa.0190062

D-Amino acids occur in modest amounts in bacterial proteins and the bacterial cell wall, as well as in peptide antibiotics. Therefore, D-amino acids present in terrestrial vertebrates were believed to be derived from bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract or fermented food. However, both exogenous and endogenous origins of D-amino acids have been confirmed. Terrestrial vertebrates possess an enzyme for converting certain L-isomers to D-isomers. D-Amino acids have nutritional aspects and functions, some are similar to, and others are different from those of L-isomers. Here, we describe the nutritional characteristics and functions of D-amino acids and also discuss the future perspectives of D-amino acid nutrition in the chicken.