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Dietary Proteins and Amino Acids: Postnatal Growth and Long-Term Health

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 6307

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Adel Pezeshki

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Guest Editor

Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, 206c Animal Science Building, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Interests: branched-chain amino acids; bioactive peptides; glycemic control; metabolic health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Postnatal growth and metabolism are essential for long-term health. Nutrition plays a key role in the growth, immunity and metabolism of newborns and diet can be manipulated to optimize nutritional needs and improve postnatal life. Not only dietary protein content but also the composition and nature of proteins have substantial effects on growth and metabolism in the early postnatal period, which are associated with long-term health. The mechanisms by which proteins and amino acids regulate growth and metabolsim are not fully understood in neonates. Therefore, the overall objective of this Special Issue is to provide new insights into the role of dietary protein and amino acids on growth and metabolism in early life and their underlying mechanisms in various animal species that can lead to improvements in growth and health in animals and infants. Our specific objective is to explore the effects of dietary protein content and source as well as individual amino acids on energy balance, glucose and lipid metabolism, nutrient utilization, gut microbiota, tissue protein synthesis, the parameters of growth at the cellular and whole-body levels and metabolic parameters. We welcome original research articles, reviews, viewpoints, letters, essays, etc., from different research areas such as Animal Science, Nutritional Sciences, Pediatrics Nutrition, Biochemistry, etc., to contribute to this Special Issue.

Dr. Adel Pezeshki
Guest Editor

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Keywords

postnatal period
protein
amino acids
growth
metabolism

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Soybean and Linseed Oils Calcium Salts and Starter Protein Content on Growth Performance, Immune Response, and Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency in Holstein Dairy Calves

by Ardashir Rajabi, Farshid Fattahnia, Mohammad Shamsollahi, Hossein Jahani-Azizabadi, Hamed Khalilvandi-Behroozyar, Adel Pezeshki and Mehdi Kazemi-Bonchenari

Animals 2023, 13(6), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13060960 - 7 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1265

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the interaction of fatty acid (FA) source [calcium salt of soybean oil (n-6 FA) vs. calcium salt of linseed oil (n-3 FA) both 3% DM basis] with protein content (18% vs. 22% CP, based on DM) on growth performance, blood metabolites, immune function, skeletal growth indices, urinary purine derivatives (PD), and microbial protein synthesis (MPS) in young dairy calves. Forty 3-day-old calves (20 females and 20 males) with a starting body weight (BW) of 40.2 kg were assigned in a completely randomized block design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Experimental diets were: (1) n-6 FA with 18% CP (n-6-18CP), (2) n-6 FA with 22% CP (n-6-22CP), (3) n-3 FA with 18% CP (n-3-18CP), and (4) n-3 FA with 22% CP (n-3-22CP). Starter feed intake and average daily gain (ADG) were not influenced by experimental diets (p > 0.05). However, before weaning and the entire period, feed efficiency (FE) was greater in calves fed n-3 FA compared to n-6 FA (p < 0.05). Heart girth (weaning, p < 0.05) and hip height (weaning, p < 0.05 and final, p < 0.01) were highest among experimental treatments in calves who received n-3-22CP diets. The greatest blood glucose (p < 0.05) and insulin (p < 0.01) concentrations in the pre-weaning period and the lowest serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor (before weaning, p < 0.05) were observed in calves fed the n-3-22CP diet. However, the greatest blood urea N (before weaning, p < 0.05; after weaning, p < 0.05) and urinary N excretion (p < 0.05) were found in calves fed n-6-22CP diets compared to other experimental arrangements. In conclusion, offering calves with Ca-salt of n-3 FA along with 22% CP content may be related to improved nitrogen efficiency and immune function. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Proteins and Amino Acids: Postnatal Growth and Long-Term Health)

10 pages, 853 KiB

Open AccessArticle

L-Tryptophan Differentially Regulated Glucose and Amino Acid Transporters in the Small Intestine of Rat Challenged with Lipopolysaccharide

by Bin Wang, Lili Jiang, Zhenlong Wu and Zhaolai Dai

Animals 2022, 12(21), 3045; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12213045 - 5 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1531

Abstract

Tryptophan (Trp) has been shown to improve the growth and gut function of weaned piglets. Whether the growth-promoting effect of Trp is due to the improvement in nutrient transport and absorption during weaning or under conditions of inflammation has not been fully characterized. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Trp on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced changes in glucose and amino acid (AA) transport in the rat jejunum. Twenty-four 7-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into one of three groups: control, LPS, and Trp + LPS. Rats were supplemented with 0 or 0.1 mg Trp per gram body weight/d in drinking water for 7 days and were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (5 mg/kg BW) on day 8. After 24 h, rats were sacrificed, and jejunum samples were isolated for the analysis of glucose and AA transport using an Ussing chamber and the expression of glucose and AA transporters. The results showed that Trp alleviated the LPS-induced increase in jejunal permeability (p < 0.05) and decrease in changes in the short-circuit current of glucose, arginine, glutamine, glutamate, glycine, histidine, leucine, lysine, taurine, threonine, and Trp (p < 0.05). Trp reversed (p < 0.05) the LPS-induced downregulation of expression of the glucose transporter SGLT1 and AA transporters solute carrier family 38 member 2 (SNAT2) and solute carrier family 7 member 8 (LAT2), as well as ATPase Na⁺/K⁺ transporting subunit alpha 2 (ATP1A2). However, Trp increased (p < 0.01) the LPS-induced upregulation of acidic AA transporter solute carrier family 1 member 1 (EAAT3) expression. The above findings may help to develop nutritional interventions for the differential targeting of gut nutrient transporters, aiming to improve gut function and health in the presence of inflammation in both humans and animals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Proteins and Amino Acids: Postnatal Growth and Long-Term Health)

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Review

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17 pages, 1926 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances, Implications, and Limitations of Low-Crude-Protein Diets in Pig Production

by Gabriel Cipriano Rocha, Marcos Elias Duarte and Sung Woo Kim

Animals 2022, 12(24), 3478; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243478 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2743

Abstract

Currently, five crystalline essential amino acids (Lys, Met, Thr, Trp, and Val) are generally used, allowing formulation of low-crude-protein (CP) diets. Moreover, Ile may also be used depending on its economic value and the specific feeding program. Experimentally, it has been shown that further reduced CP levels can be achieved by supplemental His, Leu, and Phe to the diets. However, decreasing the dietary CP level while maintaining optimal ratios of amino acids has shown contradictory effects on pigs’ growth performance. Due to the divergence in the literature and the importance for practical formulation strategies in the swine industry, a literature review and a meta-analysis were performed to estimate the minimum CP level that would not compromise pig performance. Based on the present review, there is a minimum CP level after which the growth performance of pigs can be compromised, even though diets are balanced for essential amino acids. Considering average daily gain and gain to feed, respectively, these levels were estimated to be 18.4% CP (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.3 to 18.4) and 18.3% CP (95% CI: 17.4 to 19.2) for nursery, 16.1% CP (95% CI: 16.0 to 16.2) and 16.3% CP (95% CI: 14.5 to 18.0) for growing, and 11.6% CP (95% CI: 10.8 to 12.3) and 11.4% CP (95% CI: 10.3 to 12.5) for finishing pigs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Proteins and Amino Acids: Postnatal Growth and Long-Term Health)

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