Amino acids as functional nutrients for pig health

The term ‘functional amino acids’ has been used to describe those amino acids supplemented in the diet for their roles beyond those for protein synthesis (i.e., lean gain). In the context of health, these include amino acids with significant roles in gastrointestinal health (e.g., barrier function) and immune response (e.g., antioxidant balance, acute phase response). Supplementation of individual functional amino acids has been shown to improve growth performance of pigs under immune challenge. More recent work has examined the use of a blend of functional amino acids on growth performance and immune status in weaned and growing pigs. For example, Rodrigues et al. fed grower pigs diets containing either a standard amino acid profile (NRC, 2012) or one in which threonine, methionine, and tryptophan were supplemented at 120% of the requirements for growth. Pigs fed the functional amino acid blend had improved growth performance and immune status when challenged with Salmonella than their unsupplemented counterparts. These amino acids likely play a role in supporting gut health during an

enteric pathogen challenge. Overall, adjustments to dietary amino acid content is another tool that can be incorporated into pig health programs.