Authors : Qian Xu, Zongyong Jiang, Yincai Lin, Chuntian Zheng and Shikui Wang
Abstract: This study aimed to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with combined arginine and glutamine on growth performance and intestinal development in neonatal piglets. The piglets (n = 144, 4 days old) were assigned randomly to receive one of four diets for 21 days: basal diet (control diet) or the basal diet supplemented with either 0.6% Arginine (Arg diet), 1.0% Glutamine (Gln diet) or both 0.6% arginine and 1.0% Glutamine (Arg/Gln diet). The results showed that Arg/Gln diet increased average daily gain and average daily feed intake compared with both control and Gln diets (p<0.05). Concentrations of serum T3 and insulin were greater for the Arg/Gln diet than the control diet (p<0.05). The Arg/Gln diet increased the duodenal villus height compared with the other three diets (p<0.05). In the jejunal mucosa, the Arg/Gln diet increased the glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities compared with the control diet (p<0.05). The Arg/Gln diet also increased the sucrase activity compared with both control and Arg diets (p<0.05). These results suggested that dietary supplementation with combined arginine and glutamine could improve small intestinal morphology and anti-oxidants and digestive capabilities and could be beneficial in growth performance and gut maturation of neonatal piglets.
Qian Xu, Zongyong Jiang, Yincai Lin, Chuntian Zheng and Shikui Wang, 2012. Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Combined Arginine and Glutamine on Growth Performance and Small Intestinal Development in Neonatal Piglets. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11: 3187-3193.