Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Combined Arginine and Glutamine on Growth Performance and Small Intestinal Development in Neonatal Piglets

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with combined arginine and glutamine on growth performance and intestinal development in neonatal piglets. The piglets (n = 144, 4 days old) were assigned randomly to receive one of four diets for 21 days: basal diet (control diet) or the basal diet supplemented with either 0,6% Arginnie (Arg diet), 1,0% Glutamine (Gln diet) or both 0,6% arginine and 1,0% Glutamine (Arg/Gln diet), The results showed that Arg/Gln diet increased average daily gani and average daily feed intake compared with both control and GIn diets (p <0,05), The Arg/Gln diet increased the duodenal villus height compared with the other three diets (p