Nutrient compositions deprived of methionine and supplemented with homocysteine

A semi-synthetic nutritional composition, for inhibiting the development and dissemination of malignant tumors in a human,

• said composition containing, as the partial or sole source of amino acids, proteins having a low methionine content, so that the composition contains essential amino acids in appropriate proportions so as to constitute a balanced nutritional composition for the said mammal, but with a methionine content reduced by x %, with x being at least 50,
• said composition additionally containing homocysteine,
• it being understood that said reduced methionine content is a content of ##EQU4## by weight, wherein y is the % by weight methionine content which is normally present in balanced nutritional composition for the said human.

A process for improving the organoleptic properties of an enterally administrable synthetic or semisynthetic nutritional composition for a human, said composition containing, as the source of amino acids, a mixture of essential amino acids in appropriate proportions so as to constitute a balanced nutritional composition for said human, but containing a methionine content reduced by x%, with x being at least 50, it being understood that said reduced methionine content is a content of ##EQU5## % by weight, wherein y is the % by weight methionine content which is normally present in a balanced nutritional composition for the said human,

• said process comprising adding to said composition, at the time of administration to said human, a homocysteine composition consisting essentially of homocysteine coated by microcapsules having walls which are soluble in the digestive tract of said human.

A homocysteine composition consisting essentially of homocysteine coated by microcapsules having walls which are soluble in the digestive tract of a human.

A synthetic or semi-synthetic nutritional composition for a human, said composition containing

• (a) as the source of amino acids, a mixture of essential amino acids in appropriate proportions so as to constitute a balanced nutritional composition for said human, but containing a methionine content reduced by x%, with x being at least 50, it being understood that said reduced methionine content is a content of ##EQU6## by weight, wherein y is the % by weight of methionine content which is normally present in a balanced nutritional composition for the said human
• (b) homocysteine in a molar amount equal to the molar amount of the lacking methionine, said molar amount being equal to the molar amount corresponding to ##EQU7## by weight of methionine, and (c) choline.

A process for inhibiting the development and dissemination of malignant tumors in a human comprising

• (a) administering to said human a synthetic or semisynthetic nutritional composition, said composition containing
• (a') as the source of amino acids a mixture of essential amino acids in appropriate proportions so as to constitute a balanced nutritional composition for said human, but containing a methionine content reduced by x%, with x being at least 50, it being understood that said reduced methionine content is a content of ##EQU8## by weight, wherein y is the % by weight methionine content which is normally present in a balanced nutritional composition for the said human, and
• (b') homocysteine in a molar amount equal to the molar amount of the lacking methionine, said molar amount being equal to the molar amount corresponding to ##EQU9## by weight of methionine, and (b) separately administering choline to said human.