Dietary arginine supplementation enhances antioxidative capacity and improves meat quality of finishing pigs

Abstract

The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary arginine supplementation may improve meat quality of finishing pigs. Beginning at approximately 60 kg body weight, pigs were fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 0, 0.5 or 1% L-arginine until they reached a body weight of approximately 110 kg. On the last day of the experiment, pigs were food-deprived for 16 h before blood samples were obtained for analysis of amino acids, insulin, and other metabolites. Immediately thereafter, pigs were slaughtered for determination of carcass composition, muscle biochemical parameters, and meat quality. The result showed that arginine did not affect pig growth performance or carcass traits. However, 1% arginine decreased drip loss of pork muscle at 48 h postmortem, while increasing intramuscular fat content (P < 0.05). Supplementing 0.5 or 1% arginine to the diet increased arginine concentration and decreased cortisol level in serum, while enhancing antioxidative capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity in serum (P < 0.05). Additionally, 1% arginine increased antioxidative capacity in skeletal muscle (P < 0.05). Furthermore, 0.5 or 1% arginine decreased the cortisol receptor mRNA level in muscle (P < 0.05). Collectively, these results indicate that supplemental arginine improved meat quality and attenuated oxidative stress of finishing pigs.

Addition of arginine and leucine to low or normal protein diets: performance, carcass characteristics and intramuscular fat of finishing pigs

“…8 results are in contrast with previous studies which had shown an increase of IMF when Leu (Hyun et al, 2003(Hyun et al, , 2007 and Arg Ma et al, 2010) were supplemented to pig diets, but in agreement with others (Go et al, 2012;Madeira et al, 2014Madeira et al, , 2015 that found no effect of Arg supplementation on IMF. Hyun et al (2007) found that the increase of IMF content was dependent of the level of dietary Lys, as Leu enhanced IMF content in LM when was combined with dietary low Lys but not with high dietary Lys.…”

“…In the current study, although diets were based on maize which has lower protein content than barley, the level of dietary protein could not be as low as in the previous study because diets were supplemented with two different amino acids (Arg and Leu). The levels of supplementation with Arg and Leu were selected based on studies in which supplementation of Arg and Leu increased IMF content (Hyun et al, 2003(Hyun et al, , 2007Tan et al, 2009;Ma et al, 2010). In all studies, diets were also based on maize, and in the case of Hyun et al (2003 and For treatments, see Table 1.…”

“…It has been reported that supplementing pig diets with leucine (Leu) (Hyun et al, 2003(Hyun et al, , 2007 or arginine (Arg) could increase IMF Ma et al, 2010). Leucine as a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) is essential and therefore must be continuously available for protein synthesis.…”

Jian carp ( Cyprinus carpio var. Jian) intestinal immune responses, antioxidant status and tight junction protein mRNA expression are modulated via Nrf2 and PKC in response to dietary arginine deficiency

“…However, no prior data are available with regards to the effect of arginine on TJs mRNA expression in fish intestine. In pigs, a study showed that dietary arginine deficiency increased cortisol content in the blood [52]. Chasiotis and Kelly [50] reported that high levels of cortisol can upregulate claudin 7 and occludin mRNA expression in goldfish gills.…”

Dietary leucine improves flesh quality and alters mRNA expressions of Nrf2-mediated antioxidant enzymes in the muscle of grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella )

“…Hence, fish flesh is prone to suffer from oxidative damage, leading to the loss of quality. Ma et al (2010) reported that arginine can improve meat quality by decreasing oxidative damage and improving antioxidant status in finishing pigs. However, little attention has been given to the effects of leucine on muscle antioxidant status in fish.…”