The possibility that choline exerts lipotropic action through its introduction into newly formed lecithin molecules is an attractive hypothesis for which there exists some supporting evidence (l-3). Inositol, which is also a constituent of phospholipid (4, 5), may possibly exert its effect in the same way. McHenry and Patterson (6) have already suggested this possibility. If these two substance...

Methionine is an amino acid( a building block of protein) hence cannot be produced by the body but only supplied by the diet. This amino acid with the chemical formula HO2HO2CCH (NH2) CH2CH2CH3. This amino acid is scientifically classified as non-polar due to its straight chain that has an S-methyl thioether (C-S-C bonding) at the -carbon (Jackson W.R & Block γ J.R, 1982).For a normal metabolis...

Lipotropic action of choline In 1924 Allan, Bowie, Macleod, and Robinson' reported that depancreatized dogs receiving adequate amounts of insulin and maintained on a diet of lean meat, sucrose, and bone ash did not survive for periods of longer than a few months. They also observed that symptoms of failure of liver function due to fat infiltration of the liver found in such animals could be pre...

Since the reviews by McHenry and Patterson (1) and Best and Lucas (2) on the relationships of lipotropic substances to fat metabolism, several publications have appeared which indicate progress in clarifying the somewhat conflicting views regarding the influence of amino acids and proteins on the fat content of the liver. Beveridge and coworkers (3) have shown that certain essential amino acids...

Three amino acids have been shown to accelerate phospholipid turnover in the liver: methionine, cystine, and cysteine (1). In short intervals after the administration of radioactive phosphorus, greater amounts of labeled phospholipid are deposited in the livers of rats fed these three amino acids than in the livers of control animals. In the case of methionine, this finding lends support to the...

This paper reports the synthesis of the betaine hydrochlorides of serine, threonine, and allothreonine and a study of the action of these substances on the lipid content of the livers of rats fed a high fat, low protein diet. This work was undertaken for two purposes. Best and Huntsman (1) found that choline prevented the development of fatty livers in rats fed a high fat diet and that betaine ...