<strong>Effect of glutamine on carbon (&delta;¹³C) turnover in the muscles and viscera of weaned piglets</strong> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v30i3.5712

Abstract

The study was carried out to verify the influence of glutamine on carbon turnover in the muscles and viscera of piglets. Nine sows were bred and received diets predominantly composed by grains of C4 photosynthetic cycle plants during gestation and lactation. The piglets were weaned at 21 days of age, and 48 animals were distributed at random in two treatments: T1 = C3 diet, without glutamine supplementation; and T2 = C3 diet, supplemented with 1% glutamine. On days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 15, 20, 29 and 46 postweaning, two piglets per treatment were slaughtered. Samples of the Psoas major and Masseter muscles, liver and pancreas were collected and analyzed for δ‰¹³C composition, and carbon turnover was measured as a function of time. It was verified that glutamine accelerated the carbon turnover in both studied muscles, as observed for the half-life values of these tissues (T = 51.4 and 21.7 days for Masseter, and 31.5 and 20.3 days for Psoas major, in the treatments without and with glutamine supplementation, respectively. The half-life values of the carbon for the liver and pancreas, with and without glutamine treatments, indicate that this amino acid also accelerated the turnover of the carbon in these organs. The results indicated anabolic stimulus by glutamine on the evaluated tissues.