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

Partial substitution of soybean meal with microalgae meal (Arthrospira spp. - Spirulina) in grower and finisher diets for broiler chickens: implications on performance parameters, footpad dermatitis occurrence, breast meat quality traits, amino acid digestibility and plasma metabolomics profile

This trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing soybean meal with microalgae meal (MM; Arthrospira spp.) during grower and finisher phases on productive performance, footpad dermatitis (FPD) occurrence, breast meat quality, amino acid digestibility and plasma metabolomics profile of broiler chickens. One thousand day-old Ross 308 male chicks were divided into 5 experimental groups (8 replicates, 25 birds/each): CON, fed a commercial soybean-based diet throughout the trial (0-41 d); F3 and F6, fed the CON diet up to 28 d of age and then a finisher diet (29-41 d) with either 30 or 60 g MM/kg, respectively; and GF3 and GF6, receiving CON diet until 14 d and then diets containing 30 or 60 g MM/kg from 15 to 41 d, respectively. All diets were iso-energetic and with a similar amino acid profile. Growth performances were recorded on a pen basis at the end of each feeding phase and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility was determined at 41 d. Footpad dermatitis occurrence was assessed on all processed birds, while breast and plasma samples were collected for meat quality and metabolomics analysis (proton nuclear magnetic resonance - 1H-NMR). At 41 d, CON group showed higher body weight than F6 and GF6 ones (2,541 vs. 2,412 vs. 2,384 g, respectively; P < 0.05). Overall, GF6 group exhibited the highest feed conversion ratio, while F3 did not present significant differences compared to CON (1.785 vs. 1.810 vs. 1.934 g feed/g gain, respectively for CON, F3 and GF6; P < 0.01). The occurrence and the risk of developing FPD were similar among groups. MM administration increased breast meat yellowness and reduced amino acid digestibility (P < 0.001). The 1H-NMR analysis revealed variations in the levels of some circulating metabolites, including histidine, arginine and creatine, which play important metabolic roles. Overall, these findings can contribute to expand the knowledge about the use of Arthrospira spp. as protein source in broiler diets.

Review: Myopathies in broilers: supply chain approach to provide solutions to challenges related to raising fast growing birds

This review is a summary of a Poultry Science Association symposium addressing myopathies in broilers' breast meat, focusing on the interactions between genetics, nutrition, husbandry, and meat processing. The Pectoralis major myopathies (woody breast [WB]; white striping [WS]; spaghetti meat [SM]) and Pectoralis minor ("feathering") are described, followed by discussing their prevalence, potential causes, current and future ways to mitigate, as well as detection methods (in live birds and meat) as well as ways to utilize affected meat. Overall, breast myopathies remain an important focus across the poultry industry and whilst a lot of data and knowledge has been gathered, it is clear that there is still a lot to understand. As there are multiple factors impacting the occurrence of breast myopathies, their reduction relies on a holistic approach. Ongoing balanced breeding strategies by poultry breeders is targeting the longer-term genetic component but comprehending the significant influence from nongenetic factors (short-term solutions such as nutrition) remains a key area of opportunity. Consequently, understanding the physiology and biological needs of the muscle through the life of the bird is critical to reduce the myopathies (e.g., minimizing oxidative stress) and gain more insight into their etiology.

Dietary guanidinoacetate reduces spaghetti meat myopathy risk in the breast muscle of broiler chickens

The global demand for white chicken meat along with the increase in the occurrence of growth-related breast muscle myopathies (BMMs) [namely white striping (WS), wooden breast (WB), and spaghetti meat (SM)] highlights the need for solutions that will improve meat quality while maintaining the high productivity of modern broilers. Guanidinoacetate (GAA), a precursor of creatine, is used as a feed additive and has previously shown the potential to affect the quality of breast meat. This study investigated growth performance, meat quality and the risk ratio for the development of BMMs in broilers assigned to two dietary treatments: control (CON) group, fed a commercial basal diet, and supplemented GAA (sGAA) group, receiving the control diet supplemented on top with 0.06% GAA. Growth performance indicators such as BW, daily weight gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and cumulative feed conversion ratio were recorded on a pen basis. As a trait affecting animal welfare, the occurrence of foot pad dermatitis was also evaluated. At day 43, birds were processed, and breasts were scored for the incidence and severity of BMMs (n = 166 and 165 in CON and sGAA groups, respectively). Quality traits (ultimate pH, colour) and technological properties (i.e., drip and cooking losses, marinade uptake, shear force, and oxidation levels of the lipid and the protein fractions) of breast meat were assessed in both treatments on samples not showing any macroscopic sign of BMMs (n = 20 breast fillets per group). Data of myopathy risk ratio were analysed as the risk for each group to develop WS, WB, and SM myopathies. Our results show that while sGAA and control groups did not differ significantly in growth performance, a remarkably beneficial effect of GAA was observed on the incidence of BMMs with significantly reduced risk of sGAA group to develop SM myopathy. The risk of sGAA group to develop SM was 30% lower compared to CON (P = 0.028). Finally, a significantly lower drip loss was observed in sGAA in comparison with CON (1.78 vs 2.48%, P = 0.020). Together, our results show that the inclusion of 0.06% GAA in feed can improve the water-holding capacity of meat and reduce the risk to develop SM myopathy without compromising the performance of broilers.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics analysis reveals circulating biomarkers related to wooden breast myopathy in broilers: a preliminary study

Approaches for the diagnosis of wooden breast (WB) myopathy in live birds are urgently required before applying intervention strategies to reduce occurrence and severity for the poultry industry. The objective of this study was to characterize the serum metabolic profiles in male broilers affected by WB and to identify biomarkers related to this myopathy. Broilers were categorized into normal (CON) and WB groups based on gross scoring and histological evaluation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, multivariate analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed a clear separation between CON and WB. A total of 73 significantly different (P < 0.05) metabolites with 17 upregulated and 56 downregulated were identified, which were mainly involved in pathways of alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. By using the nested cross-validation function of random forest analysis, 9 significantly altered (P < 0.05) metabolites (cerotinic acid, arabitol, phosphoenolpyruvate, terephthalic acid, cis-gondoic acid, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, 4-hydroxymandelic acid, caffeine, and xanthurenic acid) were identified as biomarkers with an excellent discriminant performance for WB myopathy. Collectively, this study provides new insights for a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis and provides metabolites as biomarkers for diagnostic utilization of WB myopathy.

Metabolic and microbiota response to arginine supplementation and cyclic heat stress in broiler chickens

Little attention has been paid to the biological role of arginine and its dietary supplementation in broilers under heat stress (HS) conditions. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the response of broilers to arginine supplementation and cyclic HS, with a focus on liver, pectoral muscle, and blood metabolic profiles and the cecal microbiota. Day-old male Ross 308 broilers (n = 240) were placed in 2 rooms with 12 pens each for a 44-day trial. Pens were assigned to one of two groups (6 pens/group/room): the control group (CON) was given a basal diet in mash form and the treated group (ARG) was fed CON diet supplemented with crystalline L-arginine. The total arginine:lysine ratio of CON diet ranged between 1.02 and 1.07, while that of ARG diet was 1.20. One room was constantly kept at thermoneutral (TN) conditions, while the birds in the other room were kept at TN conditions until D34 and subjected to cyclic HS from D35 onwards (∼34°C; 9:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M.). Blood, liver, Pectoralis major muscle, and cecal content were taken from 2 birds per pen (12 birds/group/room) for metabolomics and microbiota analysis. Growth performance data were also collected on a pen basis. Arginine supplementation failed to reduce the adverse effects of HS on growth performance. Supplemented birds showed increased levels of arginine and creatine in plasma, liver, and P. major and methionine in liver, and reduced levels of glutamine in plasma, liver, and P. major. HS altered bioenergetic processes (increased levels of AMP and reduced levels of fumarate, succinate, and UDP), protein metabolism (increased protein breakdown to supply the liver with amino acids for energy production), and promoted the accumulation of antioxidant and protective molecules (histidine-containing dipeptides, beta-alanine, and choline), especially in P. major. Arginine supplementation may have partially counterbalanced the effects of HS on energy homeostasis by increasing creatine levels and attenuating the increase in AMP levels, particularly in P. major. It also significantly reduced cecal observed diversity, while HS increased alpha diversity indices and affected beta diversity. Results of taxonomic analysis at the phylum and family level are also provided.

Feeding broiler chickens with arginine above recommended levels: effects on growth performance, metabolism, and intestinal microbiota

BACKGROUND

Arginine is an essential amino acid for chickens and feeding diets with arginine beyond the recommended levels has been shown to influence the growth performance of broiler chickens in a positive way. Nonetheless, further research is required to understand how arginine supplementation above the widely adopted dosages affects metabolism and intestinal health of broilers. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the effects of arginine supplementation (i.e., total arginine to total lysine ratio of 1.20 instead of 1.06-1.08 recommended by the breeding company) on growth performance of broiler chickens and to explore its impacts on the hepatic and blood metabolic profiles, as well as on the intestinal microbiota. For this purpose, 630 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were assigned to 2 treatments (7 replicates each) fed a control diet or a crystalline L-arginine-supplemented diet for 49 d.

RESULTS

Compared to control birds, those supplemented with arginine performed significantly better exhibiting greater final body weight at D49 (3778 vs. 3937 g; P < 0.001), higher growth rate (76.15 vs. 79.46 g of body weight gained daily; P < 0.001), and lower cumulative feed conversion ratio (1.808 vs. 1.732; P < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of arginine, betaine, histidine, and creatine were greater in supplemented birds than in their control counterparts, as were those of creatine, leucine and other essential amino acids at the hepatic level. In contrast, leucine concentration was lower in the caecal content of supplemented birds. Reduced alpha diversity and relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria (specifically Escherichia coli), as well as increased abundance of Bacteroidetes and Lactobacillus salivarius were found in the caecal content of supplemented birds.

CONCLUSIONS

The improvement in growth performance corroborates the advantages of supplementing arginine in broiler nutrition. It can be hypothesized that the performance enhancement found in this study is associated with the increased availability of arginine, betaine, histidine, and creatine in plasma and the liver, as well as to the ability of extra dietary arginine to potentially ameliorate intestinal conditions and microbiota of supplemented birds. However, the latter promising property, along with other research questions raised by this study, deserve further investigations.

Guanidinoacetic Acid as a Nutritional Adjuvant to Multiple Sclerosis Therapy

Tackling impaired bioenergetics in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been recently recognized as an innovative approach with therapeutic potential. Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is an experimental nutrient that plays a significant role in high-energy phosphate metabolism. The preliminary trials suggest beneficial effects of supplemental GAA in MS, with GAA augments biomarkers of brain energy metabolism and improves patient-reported features of the disease. GAA can also impact other metabolic footprints of MS, including demyelination, oxidative stress, and GABA-glutamate imbalance. In this mini-review article, we summarize studies evaluating GAA effectiveness in MS, explore mechanisms of GAA action, and discuss the challenges of using dietary GAA as an element of MS therapy.

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.

Effects of Dietary Guanidinoacetic Acid on the Feed Efficiency, Blood Measures, and Meat Quality of Jinjiang Bulls

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing the diet of Jinjiang bulls with guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on their feed efficiency [feed efficiency were evaluated with feedlot average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed-to-gain ratio (F:G)], blood measures, and meat quality. Forty-five Jinjiang bulls (24 ± 3 months old and 350.15 ± 30.39 kg by weight) were randomly distributed among five experimental groups (each n = 9) and each group was randomly fed with one of five diets (concentrate: roughage ratio of 60:40): (1) control; (2) 0.05% GAA; (3) 0.1% GAA; (4) 0.2% GAA; and (5) 0.4% GAA, respectively. After a 52-days feeding trial, five bulls from the control group and five bulls from the optimal GAA supplementing group were randomly selected and slaughtered for collection of the longissimus thoracis (LT) and semitendinosus (SM) muscles to determine meat quality. The results showed that dietary GAA improved the ADG, decreased the value of F:G, and affected blood measures and antioxidant variables. Supplementing 0.2% GAA into the diet was optimal for feeding efficiency and most of the measured blood measures. Supplementing 0.2% GAA into the diet increased the a^* (redness) values, and b^* (yellowness) values, and the amount of creatine kinase (CK), muscle glycogen, creatinine (CRE), and laminin (LN) in LT muscles. However, it decreased the drip loss, L^* (lightness) value, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content of LT muscles. Drip loss and shear force decreased in SM muscles, as did the amount of type IV collagen (CV-IV). In conclusion, supplementing 0.2% GAA into the diet could enhance feed efficiency to improve beef growth and meat quality.