Dietary arginine supplementation enhances antioxidative capacity and improves meat quality of finishing pigs

The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary arginine supplementation may improve meat quality of finishing pigs. Beginning at ∼60 kg body weight, pigs were fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 0, 0.5 or 1% l-arginine until they reached a body weight of ∼110 kg. On the last day of the experiment, pigs were food-deprived for 16 h before blood samples were obtained for analysis of amino acids, insulin, and other metabolites. Immediately thereafter, pigs were slaughtered for determination of carcass composition, muscle biochemical parameters, and meat quality. The result showed that arginine did not affect pig growth performance or carcass traits. However, 1% arginine decreased drip loss of pork muscle at 48 h postmortem, while increasing intramuscular fat content (P < 0.05). Supplementing 0.5 or 1% arginine to the diet increased arginine concentration and decreased cortisol level in serum, while enhancing antioxidative capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity in serum (P < 0.05). Additionally, 1% arginine increased antioxidative capacity in skeletal muscle (P < 0.05). Furthermore, 0.5 or 1% arginine decreased the cortisol receptor mRNA level in muscle (P < 0.05). Collectively, these results indicate that supplemental arginine improved meat quality and attenuated oxidative stress of finishing pigs. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.