Stability of creatine monohydrate and guanidinoacetic acid during manufacture (retorting and extrusion) and storage of dog foods

Phospholipid Fatty Acid Profiles of Plasma and Erythrocyte Membranes in Dogs Fed with Commercial Granulated Food

Intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) benefits human and animal health. Our study aimed to analyze the long-chain n-3 PUFA content of two types of food and their effect on plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids of Belgian Shepherd dogs. A total of 10 dogs were fed commercial granulated food (Food 1), and another 10 were provided commercial Premium granulated food of high quality (Food 2). All the analyses were performed using gas-liquid chromatography. Our results showed that Food 1 contained more n-3 PUFA than Food 2, which was reflected in higher n-3 PUFA in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids. Because long-chain n-3 PUFA in phospholipids are precursors for antioxidative molecules, further studies should investigate the effects of the analyzed commercial granulated food rich in n-3 on oxidative stress parameters in dogs.

Addition of a combination of creatine, carnitine, and choline to a commercial diet increases postprandial plasma creatine and creatinine concentrations in adult dogs

Creatine is a nitrogenous compound essential for cellular energy homeostasis found in animal protein; however, when heat-processed for pet food, creatine is degraded to creatinine, which is not metabolically active and excreted in urine. The objective of the present investigation was to define the postprandial plasma creatine and creatinine response in dogs fed a commercial diet (CON) formulated for adult dogs, top-dressed with a combination of creatine (9.6 g/kg dry matter, DM), carnitine (2.13 g/kg DM) and choline (0.24 g/kg DM; CCC), methionine (2.6 g/kg DM; MET), or taurine (0.7 g/kg DM; TAU). Eight adult Beagles were fed one of the four diets for 7 days in a Latin Square design with no washout period. On day 7, cephalic catheters were placed and blood samples were collected before being fed (fasted) and up to 6 h post-meal. Creatine and creatinine were analyzed using HPLC and data analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX in SAS. Plasma creatine concentrations were higher in dogs fed CCC (103 ± 10 μmol/L) compared to MET (72 ± 7 μmol/L) at fasted (P < 0.05) and higher compared to all other treatments from 15 to 360 min post-meal (P < 0.05). Plasma creatinine concentrations were higher in dogs fed CCC from 60 to 180 min compared to all other treatments. These data suggest that when creatine, carnitine and choline are top-dressed for 7 days, plasma creatine is rapidly absorbed and remains elevated up to 6 h post-meal. This may have implications for energy metabolism and should be considered when using creatinine as a diagnostic tool in dogs.

Guanidinoacetic acid as a partial replacement to arginine with or without betaine in broilers offered moderately low crude protein diets

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is the direct precursor of creatine and can spare arginine (Arg) for creatine synthesis in low crude protein (CP) broiler diets. This study aimed to determine the extent GAA could spare Arg in broilers offered low CP diets and if supplemental betaine provides additional benefits. Seven hundred twenty-day-old Ross 308 male broilers were assigned into 9 dietary treatments with 8 replicates of 10 birds each. The treatments were; normal CP diet, a low CP (−15 g/kg) diet deficient in Arg, a low CP diet sufficient in Arg, and low CP diets with GAA, where 0.1% added L-Arg was spared by GAA at 50, 100, and 150% with and without 0.1% betaine. The treatments were offered during grower (d 10–24) and finisher (d 25–42) phases. The birds offered a low CP Arg deficient diet had 7.8% lower weight gain, 10 points higher FCR, 8.5% lower breast meat yield, 27.2% lower breast meat creatine concentration and 30.4% more abdominal fat pad compared to those offered a normal CP diet. When Arg was added back to the Arg deficient diet, growth performance, breast meat yield and creatine concentration loss were restored. When GAA spared Arg at 150%, feed intake, weight gain, FCR, breast and abdominal fat yields, breast meat moisture, drip loss, and breast meat creatine concentration became comparable to Arg sufficient low CP and normal CP treatments. When GAA spared Arg at 100 and 50%, FCR was 3 and 5 points lower than the normal CP treatment. Breast meat creatine concentration was positively correlated to feed efficiency (r = 0.70, P < 0.001) and breast meat moisture (r = 0.33, P < 0.01), and negatively correlated to relative weight of abdominal fat (r = −0.37, P < 0.01) and breast meat pH (r = −0.49, P < 0.001). There were no benefits of adding betaine with GAA on the parameters measured but the results with GAA were consistent in the presence or absence of betaine.

Effects of Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation on Productive Performance, Pectoral Myopathies, and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens

Simple Summary

Genetic selection for rapid growth is accompanied with challenges in meat quality such as pectoral myopathies, which lead to downgrading of breast muscle and economic losses for slaughterhouses. This experiment evaluated the effects of guanidinoacetic acid supplementation at rate of 0%, 0.06%, and 0.12% on the productive performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. Result showed that wooden breast was manifested by low creatine and high ultimate pH, and more associated with heavy birds. Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation increased muscle glycogen, reduced the ultimate pH, and reduced the incidence of wooden breast severity. In conclusion, guanidinoacetic acid can be used in broiler diets to improve the productive performance without exacerbating pectoral myopathy or affecting meat quality.

Abstract

The effects of guanidinoacteic acid (GAA) supplementation on productive performance, pectoral myopathies, and meat quality of broilers were studied. Treatments consisted of corn/soybean-based diets with a GAA supplement (0%, 0.06%, and 0.12%). A total of 546 one-day-old Ross-308 males were randomly allocated to 42 floor pens with 14 replicates (13 birds/pens) for each treatment. The results showed that GAA at doses of 0.06% and 0.12% improved feed conversion, increased the percentage of normal breast, and decreased the severity of wooden breast. Breast muscle myopathy severity was positively correlated with heavy birds and negatively correlated with breast muscle creatine and glycogen. Breast muscle creatine and glycogen correlated positively with normal, less severe pectoral myopathies and meat quality. In conclusion, GAA supplementation improved broiler performance without exacerbating pectoral myopathy or affecting meat quality.

The Potential of Guanidino Acetic Acid to Reduce the Occurrence and Severity of Broiler Muscle Myopathies

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is the biochemical precursor of creatine, which, in its phosphorylated form, is an essential high-energy carrier in the muscle. Although creatine has limited stability in feed processing, GAA is well established as a source of creatine in the animal feed industry. Published data demonstrate beneficial effects of GAA supplementation on muscle creatine, energy compounds, and antioxidant status, leading to improvements in broiler body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and breast meat yield. Although increases in weight gain and meat yield are often associated with wooden breast (WB) and other myopathies, recent reports have suggested the potential of GAA supplementation to reduce the occurrence and severity of WB while improving breast meat yield. This disorder increases the hardness of the Pectoralis major muscle and has emerged as a current challenge to the broiler industry worldwide by impacting meat quality. Genetic selection, fast-growth rates, and environmental stressors have been identified to be the main factors related to this myopathy, but the actual cause of this disorder is still unknown. Creatine supplementation has been used as a nutritional prescription in the treatment of several muscular myopathies in humans and other animals. Because GAA is a common feed additive in poultry production, the potential of GAA supplementation to reduce broiler myopathies has been investigated in experimental and commercial scenarios. In addition, a few studies have evaluated the potential of creatine in plasma and blood enzymes related to creatine to be used as potential markers for WB. The evidence indicates that GAA could potentially minimize the incidence of WB. More data are warranted to understand the factors affecting the potential efficacy of GAA to reduce the occurrence and severity of myopathies.

Stability of creatine monohydrate and guanidinoacetic acid during manufacture (retorting and extrusion) and storage of dog foods

The stability of creatine monohydrate (CrMH), crystallised guanidinoacetic acid (GAA-C) and granulated GAA (GAA-G) in a moist retorted and a dry extruded dog food formulation during production and storage was investigated. Commercial food mixtures were supplemented with CrMH, GAA-C or GAA-G. Uniformity after mixing and retorting or extrusion was determined based on replicate samples (moist n = 8, dry n = 10). Storage stability was evaluated at 25°C/60% relative humidity for 15 months and 40°C/75% for 6 months. Foods with CrMH were analysed for creatine (Cr) and creatinine (Crn), whereas GAA-C and GAA-G foods were analysed for GAA concentrations. Coefficients of variation (CV) for uniformity of the additives after mixing of moist and dry pet food formulations were below 15%, and the CV was lower in processed mixtures. Recoveries after retorting and extrusion were higher for GAA-G (79 and 99%) and GAA-C (89 and 86%) compared to CrMH (36 and 85%) foods. In moist CrMH food, Cr concentrations re-increased by 54% whilst Crn concentrations decreased by 39% after storage at 25°C for 15 months. With total molar Cr + Crn remaining stable throughout storage, Crn and Cr appeared to effectively interconvert. Storage of the extruded CrMH food at 25°C for 15 months resulted in a 63% decrease in Cr and a 39% increase in Crn concentration. The decrease in Cr concentration was larger at 6 months storage at 40°C compared to 15 months storage at 25°C. Both GAA-C and GAA-G moist and dry foods were stable during storage (<10% decrease). This study showed that GAA is highly stable during production and storage of moist and dry canine foods whilst CrMH is relatively unstable, particularly during storage. The latter makes it difficult to establish a guaranteed Cr content in finished moist retorted and dry extruded foods with CrMH.