The effect of taurine on animal behavior

Taurine (TAU) is an essential or semi-essential amino acid according to the animal species. It has many basic physiological functions such as membrane stabilization, cell signaling, osmoregulation and bile acid conjugation. This review focuses on the behavioral and cognitive effects of taurine in different animal species. Taurine, found in various body tissues, is the most common amino acid after glutamate in the mammalian nervous system. It is especially common in developing brain. It is distributed in the cerebellum, cortex and hippocampus. Studies in rats and zebra fish have shown that taurine is effective in stress-related mechanisms. These effects are induced by inhibiting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and activating the glycine receptor. Taurine prevents the reduction of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline levels in rats under chronic stress, and prevents excessive release of glutamate and corticosterone. Thus, it has anti-depressive and anxiolytic effects. A study on blue tits revealed that the amount of taurine taken during the growth period shaped long-term adulthood behaviors. It has been observed that offspring develop their spatial / spatial learning abilities and increase their risk-taking potential, especially when researching new objects. A study of zebra fish indicated that taurine use reduces the risk assessment behavior, which is a defense approach. Spatial learning ability and risk-taking tendency are influential on an individual's competitiveness and prey success. As a result, taurine affects the development of brain regions that control the HPA axis. Taurine supplementation enhances hippocampal development and function, which affects stress response and spatial learning. Interacting with learning mechanisms, taurine plays an important role in the formation of behavioral phenotypes of offspring. In the light of all this information, there is almost no scientific study on how taurine, which is widely used as a nutritional supplement in cat and dog nutrition, affects the behavior in these animals. Because of the cognitive and behavioral effects mentioned above, taurine is thought to play an active role in cat and dog breeding and training. Further research is needed to prevent depression and anxiety in pet animals.