Role of GAA in Brain Metabolism and Heat Stress

Guanidinoacetic Acid (GAA) and Creatine

• GAA is an amino acid derivative and precursor to creatine, which plays a significant role in energy metabolism.
• GAA has been explored as an effective alternative to creatine supplements due to creatine's instability during manufacturing and cost.

Effects of GAA on Brain Function

• Increased dietary GAA can increase brain functions and concentration in broilers subjected to heat stress.
• GAA supplementation can increase plasma arginine, making it more readily available for metabolic processes other than de novo GAA production.

GAA Supplementation in Poultry

• Dietary GAA can be used to substitute 150% of arginine in broiler diets with a moderately low crude protein to achieve comparable growth, meat quality, and creatine production.
• GAA supplementation can spare dietary arginine, and supplementing with 1.2 g/kg GAA is the most effective way to boost growth performance.
• GAA supplementation does not affect feed intake in broilers, except at very high doses (6 g/kg) which lead to reduced feed intake.
• Adding coenzyme Q10, taurine, or a combination of the two in broiler diets can improve growth performance.

GAA Supplementation in Swine

• Feeding GAA during gestation and lactation improves multiparity and gilt performance, milk quality, and production, as well as litter growth performance.
• GAA supplementation can be used as an arginine-sparing agent in animals, improving growth, feed efficiency, and growth performance.

Other Effects of GAA

• GAA supplementation can act as an arginine-sparing agent while decreasing mortality related to ascites.
• GAA can improve skeletal muscle development and expression of myogenic genes.
• GAA can be used to replace arginine in animal diets.