Rumen-protected guanidinoacetic acid is associated with improved growth performance and altered portal nutrient and hepatic IGF-1 indices in Hu sheep
Mengjian Liu
IntroductionGuanidinoacetic acid (GAA), the direct precursor of creatine, has been shown to improve growth performance in monogastric animals, but its metabolic effects in ruminants remain unclear. This study examined whether dietary GAA and rumen-protected GAA (RPGAA) are associated with changes in intestinal creatine-related metabolism, portal nutrient concentrations, and hepatic IGF-1 expression in Hu sheep.MethodsTwenty-seven Hu rams were randomly assigned to three treatments for 45 days: a