Effect of dietary histidine on contents of carnosine and anserine in muscles of broilers.

Carnosine (-alanyl-L-histidine) and anserine (-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine) are dipeptides mainly found in skeletal muscle and brain of many vertebrates, and particularly high concentrations are observed in chicken pectoral muscles. It was reported that these peptides have many functions, such as antioxidant activity. In this study, we examined the effect of different levels of dietary histidine on carnosine and anserine contents in broiler muscles. The 14-days-old female Chunky strain broilers were given feeds containing three different levels of histidine; 67% (Low-His), 100% (Control) and 200% (High-His) of histidine requirement according to the NRC (1994). Chicks were fed experimental diets for 10 days. Both dipeptides in muscle were significantly decreased. In particular, carnosine was not detected at all in the Low-His group and was significantly increased in the High-His group. Both dipeptides were not detected in plasma. These results indicated the possibility to produce chicken meat with enhanced amount of these dipeptides by high histidine feeding.