Effect of dietary methionine on growth performance and insulin-like growth factor-I mRNA expression of growing meat rabbits

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different amounts of dietary methionine on growth performance, serum protein, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations and IGF-I mRNA expression of growing meat rabbits. One hundred weaned growing meat rabbits were allocated to individual cages and randomly divided into five groups. The methionine addition concentrations of the five groups were 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 g/kg diet (as-fed basis) and sulphur amino acids (SAA) concentrations ranging from 3.8 to 11.6 g/kg diet, respectively. The results obtained were as follows: the average daily gain of 2, 4 and 6 g/kg diet groups was higher than that of 0 g/kg diet group (p < 0.01). The feed gain ratio of the 4 g/kg diet group was lower than those of 0 and 8 g/kg diet group (p < 0.01). Methionine concentrations did not affect serum urea nitrogen, total protein, insulin and IGF-I concentration (p > 0.05). The quadratic effects of methionine on the serum concentration of albumin (Alb) and GH were obtained (p = 0.013, p = 0.018). The quadratic effect of methionine amount on IGF-I mRNA expression was obtained (p = 0.045). The serum concentration of Alb of the 4 g/kg diet group was higher than those of 0 and 8 g/kg diet group (p < 0.01). The serum concentration of GH of 8 g/kg diet group was higher than that of the 0 g/kg diet group (p < 0.05). The liver IGF-I mRNA expression of 4 g/kg diet group was higher than those of the 0 and 8 g/kg diet group (p < 0.05). Providing a diet mainly consisted of corn, wheat bran and peanut vine, the optimum dietary methionine addition concentration and SAA concentration for a weaner to 2-month-old growing meat rabbits were shown to be 2 and 5.7 g/kg diet respectively.