Anserine (Plasma)

High levels:

• High dietary intake of poultry can contribute to elevated anserine.
• Zinc is required for normal conversion to beta-alanine plus 1-methylhistidine.

Anserine, a dietary dipeptide, is higher than the reference range. This peptide comes from fish, fowl and some animal protein, principally from tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, duck and rabbit. Anserine does not occur in human organs but dietary uptake is common for non-vegetarians. Elevated anserine may result from a dietary overload of protein, may be temporary or episodic, and may have no clinical consequence. However, zinc deficiency can be a cause of peptidase weakness; also, pancreatic dysfunction or digestive disorder can result in increased uptake and excretion of anserine. Elevated anserine together with subnormal levels of essential or semi-essential amino acids is consistent with incomplete digestive proteolysis and malabsorption. Further diagnostic testing to assess mal-digestion should be considered.

Anserine is part of a group of Beta-Amino Acids and Derivatives. Anserine is beta-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine, and it is known to come from chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit, tuna and salmon.