The experiment was conducted with the objective evaluating the effect of supplementation of glycine in diets with different digestible threonine:digestible lysine ratios on the activity of enzymes that metabolize threonine. Five hundred and sixty male broiler chicks from the Cobb strain were used during the period of 8 to 21 days, distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 3 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement, with 3 digestible threonine:digestible lysine ratios (55; 65 and 75%), with or without supplementation of glycine, plus an additional treatment, containing meat and bone meal, with a 65% digestible threonine:digestible lysine ratio. Eight repetitions were used per treatment and 10 birds per experimental unit, allotted in metal battery cages. The total excreta collection was performed throughout the whole experimental stage. For the determination of the activity of the threonine aldolase, threonine dehydrogenase and threonine dehydratase enzymes, at the end of the experiment, two birds were slaughtered and had their livers extracted. The threonine:lysine ratios influenced the activity of the three enzymes in the liver; while the greatest activity of the threonine aldolase was for the ratio of 75%, for threonine dehydrogenase it was 65%, and for the threonine dehydratase it was 55%. Supplementation of glycine reduced the activity of all enzymes evaluated.
threonine aldolase; threonine dehydratase; threonine dehydrogenase
