Role of Dietary L-Arginine in Poultry Production

Reviewing published literature on the effects of the amino acid, arginine, on egg production, carcass traits and in metabolic disorders and stress situations, researchers based in Yangling, China, conclude that L-arginine plays a pivotal role in poultry production.

25 January 2013

2 minute read

By: Jackie Linden

As a result of impressive progress that made in economic traits such as body weight gain, feed efficiency and breast yield to meet the demands of consumers, nowadays, poultry became more susceptible to obesity, stressors and less ability to resist the common diseases in commercial farms.

According to A.M. Fouad and colleagues at Northwest A&F University in Yangling, China in a review paper published in International Journal of Poultry Science, L-arginine supplementation in poultry diets improves egg production, egg weight, modulates lipid metabolism toward reducing total body fat accumulation to improve meat quality and increases antioxidant defence under normal conditions.

Under stress conditions, they continue, L-arginine has the ability to alleviate this stress and to normalise growth performance.

Dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces ascites mortality under low ambient temperatures, attenuates the adverse effects of heat stress and high stocking density, activates the immune system and enhances its responses to different common diseases in poultry farms.

Fouad and co-authors conclude that L-arginine plays a pivotal role in poultry production.

Reference

Fouad A.M., H.K. El-Senousey, X.J. Yang and J.H. Yao. 2012. Role of dietary L-arginine in poultry production. International Journal of Poultry Science, 11(11):718-729.