Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation on growth performance and molecular mechanisms of lean mass gain in nursery pigs.

EnglishThe objective with the present study was to evaluate the effect of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on the growth performance of nursery piglets as well as a possible molecular mechanism of action on lean mass gain. Seventy-two pigs, weaned at 21 d, weighing 6.80 ± 1.2 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design into one of three dietary treatments (control, control + 1.2 g/kg GAA or control + 2.4 g/kg GAA) and 8 replicates per treatment. The control diet was an animal protein-free diet based on corn and soybean meal. Body weight, average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and feed efficiency were evaluated at 35, 49, and 56 days. At the end of the experiment, one animal per pen was slaughtered and samples of the vastus lateralis muscle were collected for RT-qPCR and protein abundance analysis. Overall (from 21 to 56 d), GAA supplementation improved feed efficiency (P portuguesO objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito do acido guanidinoacetico (GAA) no desempenho de leitoes, bem como um possivel mecanismo de acao molecular no ganho de massa magra. Setenta e dois leitoes, desmamados aos 21 dias, pesando 6,80 ± 1,2 kg, foram distribuidos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com tres tratamentos dieteticos (controle, controle + 1,2 g / kg ou controle + 2,4 g / kg GAA) e 8 repeticoes por tratamento. A dieta controle nao continha proteina animal e foi formulada a base de milho e farelo de soja. O desempenho dos animais foi avaliado aos 35, 49 e 56 dias. Ao final do experimento, um animal por unidade experimental foi abatido e amostras do musculo Vastus lateralis foram coletadas para analise de RT-qPCR e abundância de proteinas. A suplementacao com GAA melhorou a eficiencia alimentar (P