Betaine improves growth, but does not induce whole body or hepatic palmitate oxidation in swine (Sus scrofa domestica)

Abstract

Dietary betaine may reduce carcass fat in growing pigs. We explored the effects of betaine on short-term growth and in vivo and in vitro fatty acid oxidation. Pigs were housed in metabolism crates and fed diets containing either 0% (control), 0.125% or 0.5% betaine at 80% of ad libitum energy intake. Fatty acid oxidation was measured during intravenous infusions of 1-C-palmitate and in hepatocytes incubated in the presence or absence of betaine and carnitine. 13CO and palmitate isotopic enrichments were determined by mass spectrometry. Pigs consuming 0.125% and 0.5% 2 betaine for at least 9 days had growth rates that were 38% and 12% greater than controls, respectively. Feed efficiency was also improved with betaine. Fasting increased palmitate oxidation rates 7-8-fold (P-0.01), but betaine had no effect in either the fed or fasted state (P)0.1). For hepatocytes, carnitine but not betaine enhanced palmitate oxidation. This response suggests that previously observed reduction in adipose accretion must be via a mechanism other than oxidation. Betaine had no effect on plasma non-esterified fatty acids or urea nitrogen. Under the confinement conditions in this study, dietary betaine improved animal growth responses, but it had no apparent effect on either whole body or hepatic fatty acid oxidation. ᮊ

Impact of dietary betaine and conjugated linoleic acid on insulin sensitivity, protein and fat metabolism of obese pigs

“…In this study, betaine had no effect in serum NEFA and similar results have previously been reported (Matthews et al, 1998;Øverland et al, 1999). Furthermore, it is interesting to point out that whole body or hepatic fatty acid oxidation was not affected by betaine in growing pigs (Wray-Cahen et al, 2004), suggesting that reduction in adipose accretion must be via a mechanism other than oxidation. Nevertheless, Huang et al (2006) reported increased NEFA but no change in TG of finishing pigs fed diets supplemented with betaine.…”

Increased fatty acid β‐oxidation as a possible mechanism for fat‐reducing effect of betaine in broilers

“…However, Wray‐Cahen et al . () showed that betaine had no effect on whole body or hepatic palmitate oxidation in swine. The difference might be attributed to the different animal models, ages and experimental periods between the experiments.…”

Effect of betaine on hepatic insulin resistance through FOXO1-induced NLRP3 inflammasome

“…It has been shown that betaine administration increases hepatic concentrations of methionine and Sadenosylmethionine, while reducing homocysteine and cystathionine in rats and mice [1,2]. Thus, betaine may be integrally involved in the lipid metabolism via its role in phosphatidylcholine synthesis and fatty acid oxidation because carnitine is required for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria [3]. Previous studies have shown that betaine administration protected the liver from hepatotoxicants, such as ethanol and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) [4,5].…”