Regulation of functional amino acids on oxidative stress in pigs

Abstract

Rapid generation of free radical species in the body impairs the antioxidant-oxidative balance, which further causes oxidative stress in humans and animals. In the pig industry, various factors can induce oxidative stress, including birth process, weaning stress, mycotoxin contamination, and feeding environment. Oxidative stress is generally accompanied by other pathologies, which further exerts an important effect on growth performance and healthy status. Currently, various functional amino acids (i.e., sulfur-containing amino acids, glutamic acid, arginine, and tryptophan) are reported to exhibit a potential antioxidant ability. Thus, dietary supplementation with functional amino acids may exert a preventive or therapeutic effect on oxidative stress in pigs. This review mainly discusses the birth-, weaning-, mycotoxins-, and feeding environment-induced oxidative stress and nutritional regulation in pigs, which may provide a reference for the study and scientific application in pig nutrition.